Molly is a commercial real estate lawyer who assists clients with development and transactions. She represents owners and developers in connection with public/private developments, downtown redevelopment, land use and zoning issues, development agreements, purchase and sale transactions, and leasing. Her background in planning, including a master’s degree in city and regional planning, provides a valuable perspective on commercial real estate issues.

Accolades

• Best Lawyers: Land Use and Zoning Law (2022-2025), Real Estate Law (2022-2025)
• Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite: Real Estate (2024)

Representative Experience

• Regularly represents owners and prospective developers to achieve zoning necessary to redevelop commercial and mixed-use properties in and near downtown Raleigh
• Regularly secures variances and design alternates from the City of Raleigh for major developers
• Negotiates public/private development agreements and land acquisition contracts for downtown redevelopment projects in North Carolina
• Secured rezoning of a 30-acre site near downtown Raleigh for large-scale, mixed-use development and rezoning and annexation of a 530-acre site along NCDOT’s I-540 extension for residential and mixed-use development
• Negotiated a long-term ground lease with the City of Raleigh on behalf of a sports facility developer
• Negotiated and closed a multi-parcel downtown land swap with the Town of Chapel Hill for a mixed-use developer
• Structured and negotiated development agreements, joint venture, property acquisition, and ongoing easement and management documents for development above existing state-owned railyard properties in New York

Presentations & Publications

• “Discussion of 2022 Study of the Impact of Bus Rapid Transit on Property Values“, WakeUp Wake County Transportation, Land Use & Housing Committee meeting. (March 1, 2023)
• “Opportunity Zones Update.” CLE Presentation at Knowledge Uncorked. (April 2019)
• Planning & Environmental Law: Editor-in-Chief (2011-2014)
• Planning Magazine: wrote monthly legal news column (2011-2014)
• “The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Challenges for Regional Ecosystem Management”,. Environmental Management. Vol. 41, Issue 6, pp. 820-833. With H. Lynch, S. Hodge, C. Albert. (June 2008)
• The New York Times: “The Replacements,” OpEd article with Daniel L. Shapiro (February 1, 2006)

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D. (2006)
• Ohio State University, Knowlton School of Architecture, Master of City and Regional Planning (1998)
• Kenyon College, B.A., Economics, Concentration in Environmental Studies (1996) magna cum laude, with honors, with distinction

Admissions

• North Carolina State Bar (2015)
• New York State Bar (2007)

Professional

• City of Raleigh’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission: Commissioner (2017-2019)
• WakeUP Wake County: Board Member (2017-2023)
• Passage Home: Board Member (2023-present)