Securing Land Use Approvals for Zoning, Permitting, Wireless, Renewables

Lisa M. Murphy focuses her practice on guiding clients through every facet of real estate development and land use—from zoning and permitting to acquisition, financing, and leasing. In her land use practice, she represents clients seeking local land use approvals, including rezonings, conditional and special use permits, special exceptions, variances and other necessary development permits and approvals. Her work ranges from large-scale residential and commercial developments to quick service restaurants and convenience stores with gas stations through energy and technology infrastructure projects. She has worked with economic development organizations and public financing entities on behalf of her clients in the development of commercial projects throughout Virginia. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the wireless industry, Lisa advises local, regional, and national clients in all facets of network development.  Whether she is helping a developer to secure approvals for a new residential community or commercial project or navigating complex permitting for energy and wireless telecommunications infrastructure, Lisa brings together deep regulatory insight and an instinct for collaboration to achieve outcomes that enable clients’ long-term success.

Notable Work & Achievements

Wireless and Telecommunications Infrastructure

With over 25-years’ experience serving the wireless industry, Lisa has represented carriers, tower companies, and turn-key vendors in all aspects of network development, including site acquisition, leasing, permitting, and zoning. She has also served as leasing and title counsel for carriers and tower companies and as an industry representative in modifying local tower ordinances. Her work has helped streamline wireless infrastructure expansion across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring regulatory compliance while advancing network connectivity goals.

Energy Development

Lisa represents energy developers in the creation of utility-scale solar projects and energy storage projects. She advises on zoning and land use approvals, and local permitting, helping clients balance environmental, regulatory, and community interests. Her counsel has been integral to advancing energy projects in Virginia.

Residential Development

Lisa represents multifamily and single-family developers throughout southeastern Virginia.  She advises on zoning and land use approvals, and local permitting, helping clients balance environmental, regulatory, and community interests.  Her work has led to the creation of a wide range of housing to serve growing community needs.

Commercial Land Use and Development

Lisa’s experience extends to advising commercial developers and retailers, including convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants ranging from full-service to quick-service models. She assists clients with zoning compliance, conditional and special use permits, special exceptions, variances and site development planning, ensuring projects move efficiently from concept to completion.

Healthcare and Assisted Living Development

Lisa has represented developers and operators of assisted living, memory care, and rehabilitation facilities throughout the region. She secured a provisional use permit for a memory care facility in central Virginia and has guided clients through complex land use and development issues for new and adaptive reuse healthcare projects, including the redevelopment of an existing medical facility for substance abuse treatment. Her work has enabled vital healthcare infrastructure to serve growing community needs.

Leadership and Community Engagement

Lisa serves as Chair of the Virginia Beach Development Authority and sits on the Boards of Virginia Beach Vision and Junior Achievement of Greater Hampton Roads. A past president of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate (HRACRE), she continues to champion responsible development and economic growth across Virginia. She is a member of the Civic Leadership Class of 2026 and is a graduate of LEAD VIRGINIA (Class of 2009) and LEAD Hampton Roads (Class of 2004).