Atty. Matthew S. "Matt" Gray
Matthew Gray focuses his practice on land use entitlement processing and litigation. He represents a range of local agencies, real estate developers and landowners in all stages of the land use entitlement and development process.
Profile Summary
About Matthew S. "Matt" Gray at a glance
Matthew S. "Matt" Gray is a zoning and environmental attorney based in San Francisco, California, practicing at Perkins Coie LLP. Admitted to practice in California, The State Bar of California. Educated at Georgetown University (J.D., 1998). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Environmental Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Land Use and Zoning Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026). Serands clients in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Matthew Gray focuses his practice on land use entitlement processing and litigation
- He represents a range of local agencies, real estate developers and landowners in all stages of the land use entitlement and development process
- He assists clients in negotiating and securing approval of development agreements, general plan amendments, specific plans, zoning, subdivision approvals, and annexation of property into cities and special districts
- regularly appears before planning commissions and city councils
- and advises clients on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and other federal and state regulatory programs during the development process
- Matt also has experience negotiating affordable housing agreements, complex mitigation fee agreements and conservation easements
- forming land-based financing mechanisms, including Mello-Roos Districts
- securing cancellation or termination of Williamson Act contracts on agricultural lands
- advising clients on issues relating to water supply
- and using the initiative and referendum process in the land use planning context
- Matt also negotiates purchase and sale agreements
- site development agreements
- covenants, conditions, and restrictions
- and related transactional documents in connection with mixed-use, commercial, and residential development projects
- Matt litigates land use matters in the state and federal courts, having defended clients in challenges under the California Environmental Quality Act, the Planning & Zoning Law, the Subdivision Map Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act, as well as local zoning ordinances, conditions of approval and general plans
- He also regularly defends landowners in eminent domain litigation, including complex matters involving challenges to an agency’s right-to-take and valuation of goodwill
- Matt has worked on a wide variety of significant land use projects throughout California, including large urban redevelopment projects, military base reuse projects, mixed-use waterfront developments, renewable energy and related infrastructure projects, regional shopping centers, and master-planned residential communities
- Matt teaches an Annual Land Use Law Review and Update course at University of California Davis Extension
- He has also taught Planning Law and Legal Process at University of California Berkeley Extension
- He regularly lectures on the Subdivision Map Act through California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) and before local municipal engineers’ associations
- He is an active member of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR) and the Bay Area Council
- He serves on the board of directors of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, and previously served as a board member and chair of the Amicus Committee of Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom
Practice Areas Explained
Matthew S. "Matt" Gray's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Matthew S. "Matt" Gray handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Matthew S. "Matt" Gray is one of 40,226 zoning attorneys indexed nationally. Browse zoning attorneys in California →
Environmental attorneys for regulatory compliance, contamination, land use, and natural resource law.
Matthew S. "Matt" Gray is one of 56,434 environmental attorneys indexed nationally. Browse environmental attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in California
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in San Francisco are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in San Francisco or all attorneys in California.
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