Thomas H Haller

Throughout his legal career, Mr. Haller has specialized in the field of land use and real estate law in Prince George's County.　 Mr. Haller has handled hundreds of cases representing a wide range of clients in administrative proceedings involving rezoning applications, master plan amendments, subdivisions, site plan applications, text amendments, petitions for vacation, special exceptions and variances.　

Mr. Haller has extensive experience working on projects near transit stations, including Transit District Overlay Zones and Development District Overlay Zones. Mr. Haller has been appointed by the Prince George's County Council to task forces studying the adequate public facilities ordinance, moderate priced dwelling unit legislation, permit processing, the 10-year water and sewer plan, growth policy, the revitalization of inner Beltway communities and senior housing.　 Mr. Haller has lectured at seminars on land use development law sponsored by the Maryland Building Industry Association, the Urban Land Institute and the Prince George's County Board of Realtors.　 He is the author of "Legal Aspects of the Permit Review Process", October, 1990, Building in Maryland magazine.

Mr. Haller has provided representation to numerous projects throughout his career to both national developers and homebuilders as well as local property and business owners. The list of recent projects he has worked on include M Square (the University of Maryland Research Park) for Corporate Office Properties Trust, Chestnut Oaks, a Planned Retirement Community for The Poretsky Group, The Brickyard, an industrial park and transit oriented mixed use development for Jackson Shaw, Terrapin Row student housing for Toll Brothers, and Tapestry, a multifamily project for Lennar

The law firm of Gibbs and Haller was established in 1990 by Edward C. Gibbs, Jr. and Thomas H. Haller. During the firm’s existence, it has focused its practice on zoning, land use and administrative law. What sets the firm apart from other firms is its combination of experience, laser focus on land use and zoning, a personal touch and a reputation for presenting the strongest legal case possible to support a project.

Having both grown up in Prince George’s County, Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Haller are intimately familiar with the changes which have occurred in the County and southern Maryland. They met when working together in the law firm of Shipley, Knight, Manzi and Zanecki in 1978, one of the pioneering zoning firms in Prince George’s County.    Gibbs and Haller was formed in April, 1990. Together, Gibbs and Haller bring 70 years of combined experience working in real estate development.

Since its founding, Gibbs and Haller has focused its practice exclusively on land use development and zoning. In doing so, it has represented clients in some of the largest and most complex land use cases in Prince George’s County. Having experience in both small and large law firm settings, they have committed to maintaining a small practice dedicated to providing personal service. They understand the need to maintain budgets without discounting the quality of the service provided. At Gibbs and Haller, clients work directly with the partner hired and can be assured of the highest quality representation. Regardless of whether the client is a large development company, small home builder or individual property owner, Gibbs and Haller is devoted to obtaining the necessary entitlements to maximize the value and utility of every project.

Prince George’s County, like other jurisdictions in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, is known for its complex process for obtaining land use approvals. This process involves multiple agencies on both the State and County level. Gibbs and Haller is intimately familiar with, and has worked closely with each of the agencies necessary to make a project become reality. This knowledge extends to local community groups and municipalities, which often are very active and influence key components of the approval process. While understanding and navigating the multiple layers of the entitlement process is critical, Gibbs and Haller prides itself on the quality and thoroughness of the land use cases it presents. Each case must meet very specific and sometimes complex legal criteria. It is important that each case be as strong as possible to be able to withstand potential legal challenges.