Michael Van Zandt's practice involves Natural Resources, Water, Land Use and Environmental Law.  He has extensive experience in water rights adjudications, acquisitions, transfers, and defense of water rights.  He is also involved in Takings Claims against the United States . Mr. Van Zandt is the lead attorney in a defense class action case involving over 4500 water right owners.  He represents one of the largest irrigation districts in the State of Nevada .  Mr. Van Zandt also represents a large governmental entity in acquiring groundwater rights under state law to serve a fast growing urban population.

Mr. Van Zandt has experience with hazardous waste and wetlands laws, NEPA, CEQA, Superfund, Clean Air, Clean Water, Safe Drinking Water, Endangered Species Acts, and California Proposition 65.  Under Proposition 65, he successfully represented multiple defendants in challenging test methods for detection of lead in plumbing products.  He has resolved numerous Proposition 65 cases for companies both inside and outside California without resorting to litigation. 

Mr. Van Zandt also represents clients regarding the Subdivision Map Act, and local zoning and development ordinances.  He is currently representing several landowners seeking approval of subdivision maps that pre-date the modern Subdivision Map Act.

Mr. Van Zandt served as Chief of Environmental Law for several Defense Department organizations, and has been the primary environmental law advisor to five major maintenance complexes.  He also served as Assistant General Counsel for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization of the Department of Defense.