John M. Wagner

CB John Wagner

John M. Wagner is a Partner in our Land Use and ZoningReal Estate, Environmental Law, and Litigation Practice Groups. 

Mr. Wagner counsels private clients, ranging from individual landowners to multi-state development companies, as well as municipalities, in real property, zoning, land use, title, landlord/tenant, and environmental law matters His practice has a particular emphasis on environmental review of zoning and land use actions pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) and real property-related constitutional issues.  

In addition to matters related to subdivision, variance, special permit, water supply/sewerage, highway work permit, wetlands, and zoning change applications, Mr. Wagner has extensive experience with the formulation, drafting, and adoption of form-based and other zoning codes. 

As an adjunct to his land use application practice, Mr. Wagner has successfully prosecuted and defended numerous groundbreaking legal actions and special proceedings regarding real property, land use, zoning, and environmental issues, including, for example, the multi-year SEQRA litigation that preceded adoption of New York’s “Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act. 

Mr. Wagner has also served as special counsel to the Village of Greenport Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and, for several years, as counsel to the Planning Board of the Town of Shelter Island.  His practice spans the five “East End” towns of Suffolk County, the Towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Brookhaven, Islip, Huntington, and Babylon, the Town of Red Hook in Dutchess County, and several villages in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. 

Mr. Wagner earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, with distinction, from Vassar College and a Juris Doctor from The American University, Washington College of Law. 

A member of the Suffolk County Bar Association, Mr. Wagner is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey; the U.S. District Court/District of New Jersey; the U.S. District Court/Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

 

Education
The American University, Washington College of Law, J.D.1985
Vassar College, B.A.1980 

Bar Admission
New York
New Jersey 

Court Admission
U.S. District Court, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
U.S. District Court, the District of New Jersey
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. Supreme Court 

Bar Associations
Suffolk County Bar Association

Appointments
Village of Greenport Planning Board, Special Counsel
Village of Greenport Zoning Board of Appeals, Special Counsel
Planning Board of the Town of Shelter Island, Counsel 

Teaching
Mr. Wagner has taught numerous Continuing Legal Education courses for the National Business Institute and Lorman Educational Services on real property, zoning, land use, environmental impact review, stormwater management, constitutional law, and other topics.