Kathryn M. Zickert
Kathryn M. Zickert is a Partner in and the leader of the Zoning, Planning and Land Use Practice Group of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, as well as a member of the Firm’s SWATT team.
Ms. Zickert practices in all aspects of land use and zoning including environmental
and land use litigation, condemnation, re-zonings, variances, special or conditional
use permits, special exceptions, subdivision approvals and all other permitting, fair
housing, developments of regional impact and historic preservation.
Ms. Zickert has extensive experience in zoning and land use related law, representing
primarily developers and property owners both in administrative and litigation matters.
Her development practice covers a broad range of commercial real estate projects,
including retail, office, industrial and mixed use, as well as various residential
projects, including attached and detached single family and multi-family units.
In recognition of her expertise in land use/environmental law, Ms. Zickert has been
selected for inclusion in Georgia Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel edition,
Georgia Trend magazine’s Legal Elite for multiple years, the Legal 500 U.S. for
Georgia Real Estate Lawyers in 2009 and The Best Lawyers in America® for Land Use &
Zoning Law.
Ms. Zickert is a member of Legal Action Network for Development Strategies
(LANDS), a national group of zoning and land use lawyers who represent only
private property interests. She is the author of a number of zoning and other land
use ordinances used throughout Georgia. Additionally, she is a regular speaker
at national and local land use seminars sponsored by the Atlanta Regional
Commission, the National Business Institute, Law Seminars International, Lorman,
the Georgia Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the National Association of
Homebuilders, the American and Georgia Planning Associations and the American
Bar Association. Ms. Zickert has served as an Adjunct Professor for Emory University
School of Law, teaching advanced litigation courses, and as a DeKalb County
Magistrate. She has also served as a Board Member for the Metropolitan Atlanta
Transit Authority (MARTA).
Ms. Zickert received her B.A., cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her J.D. from
Emory University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal
courts in Georgia, as well as the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Articles
“Tree Preservation Ordinances: Sacrificing Private Timber Rights on the Diminutive Altar of Public Benefit”, Mercer Law Review, Winter 2001
