Associate Reno Office 5441 Kietzke Lane Second Floor Reno, NV 8951 Phone: 775-327-3067 Fax: 775-786-6179 balstead@hollandhart.com

PRACTICE AREAS

Land Use & Permitting Local Government Law Natural Resources Real Estate Water Rights Gaming

Mr. Alstead is an associate in the firm's real estate and water law practice groups. Based in Reno, Mr. Alstead also frequently works in the firm's Las Vegas office.

Mr. Alstead's practice focuses primarily on land use law, real estate transactions, and water rights issues. Mr. Alstead frequently represents clients in the resort-casino, energy transmission, mining, oil and gas, geothermal, solar, residential and commercial real estate development, and timeshare industries in front of city councils and planning commissions throughout the State of Nevada. In addition to typical local governmental issues such as zoning changes, special use permits, and variances, Mr. Alstead's experience also includes gaming and liquor licensing, development agreements, and open meeting law counseling. While he typically represents project proponents, Mr. Alstead also has experience opposing land use applications, and has done so successfully. Additionally, Mr. Alstead has appeared on behalf of clients before the Nevada Environmental Commission, the Nevada Legislature, and various quasi-governmental agencies such as convention and visitor authorities.

Mr. Alstead's recent representative land use matters include obtaining six highly contested entitlements, including zoning changes, special use permits, and variances, for a $160 million dollar resort-casino project; obtaining a special use permit for a 1400-plus acre mine; successfully defending an energy client in administrative order to show cause proceedings; obtaining a special use permit for the expansion of an ore refinery located within municipal limits, and obtaining approval for a 600-plus acre residential/commercial planned unit development.

Mr. Alstead's transactional experience includes the drafting and negotiation of development agreements, solar and geothermal leases, easements and licenses, restrictive covenants and equitable servitudes, conservation easements, assignments, and other real estate-related documents. Additionally, Mr. Alstead has conducted due diligence and title work for numerous energy generation and transmission projects.

Mr. Alstead's water rights practice encompasses both transactional and litigation matters. Mr. Alstead has assisted the litigation department of the Firm in water-related litigation pertaining to matters ranging from the encumbrance of water rights to petitions for judicial review from the Nevada State Engineer; Mr. Alstead's water rights litigation experience includes assisting with litigation before the Nevada Supreme Court. On the transactional side, Mr. Alstead has drafted and negotiated water rights banking agreements and assignments thereof, purchase agreements and options, and various project-specific water rights deeds.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Alstead spent four summers working for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Member, State Bar of Nevada, Executive Committee Member, Natural Resources Subcommittee

Member, Board of Directors, Washoe ARC (2008-2009)

PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Presenter, Land Use Law in Nevada, with Doug Flowers, Reno, Nevada; with Lance Earl, Las Vegas, Nevada (2009)

ADA - How to Handle an Accommodation Request, with Doug Flowers, Reno, Nevada (2009)

Overview of Water Law in Nevada, Nevada Lawyer (2009) (co-authored with Craig Howard)

Local Water Supply Policies as a Growth Control, State Bar of Nevada (2009)

Litigation of Disputes Over Easements and CC&Rs, Law Seminars International (2008) (co-authored with Alex J. Flangas)

Successfully Maintaining Property Tax Deferrals for Agricultural and Open Space Land, Lexis-Nexis Practice Insight to Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 361A.265 & 361A.270 (2008)

Navigating the Regulations Applicable to Open Space Property Tax Deferrals, Lexis-Nexis Practice Insight to Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 361A.180 & 361A.250 (2008)

EDUCATION

University of Arizona (J.D., 2006)
  magna cum laude
  Editorial Board, Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law
  Ares Fellow for Contracts
  CALI Award in Public Lands and Mining Law
  Research Assistant, Prof. Kenney F. Hegland

University of Nevada (B.A., 2002)
  With High Distinction
  Outstanding Student in Political Science for the Class of 2002