Martin & Bell, L.L.C., is a real estate law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. The founding partner has been certified since 1987 as a real estate specialist by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of Arizona. Douglas G. Martin has thirty-five years of Arizona legal experience. The firm emphasizes condemnation, quiet title, partition, zoning, variance, and real property sales. We attempt to unlock value for real property owners.
Douglas G. Martin
Mr. Martin received a degree in Political Science in 1969 from Ohio State University. He taught history and coached golf for two years at a Columbus parochial high school. He then obtained an Ohio Real Estate License and managed eight hundred new luxury apartments with punch list responsibility for the new construction.
In 1975, he graduated cum laude from the College of Law at Ohio State University. He was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in October 1975. In October of that year, Mr. Martin entered private practice with the Phoenix firm of Treon, Warnicke and Dann. Since 1975, he has emphasized in real estate litigation, including condemnation, ownership disputes, and partition-quiet title actions.
In 1987, Doug was certified as a real estate specialist by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization from 1989 to 1991.
Doug has lectured about real estate matters to Arizona Bar groups and has taught “Principles of Real Estate” at a local two-year college. From 1985 to 1987 he served as a judge pro tempore at the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Doug is a former editor of the Real Property Section Journal and a past chairman of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Arizona. From 2000 to 2010, he has served as chairman, vice-chairman and member of the Real Estate Advisory Commission to the State Board of Legal Specialization, a group that reviews and tests all Arizona real estate law specialists. Mr. Martin has been licensed by the Arizona Department of Real Estate as a Broker since 1984 and he has served as a Maricopa County Special Commissioner for real property sales since 2004.
Leonard M. Bell
(Deceased December 13, 2009)
Leonard Bell was admitted to practice law in Arizona in April of 1968. His private practice experience included an of counsel relationship with Dushoff and McCall, exclusively handling eminent domain matters. His practice focused on appraisal litigation involving eminent domain issues and ad valorem taxes. He had particular experience with severance damage claims and the valuation of undeveloped land. For example, in a reported case, City of Phoenix v. Wilson, the Arizona Supreme Court agreed with Mr. Bell’s approach to severance damages concerning undeveloped land. Similarly, in 2002, in City of Prescott v. Storm, a Yavapai County jury agreed with Mr. Bell’s approach as to the potential of undeveloped land and rendered an award of $1,700,000, in which the City had initially offered the owners $306,000. Mr. Bell made presentations for continuing legal education (CLE) programs in the area of eminent domain and contributed as a presenter for CLE International in its "The Appraisal of Real Estate" seminar held in August of 2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Greg Linaman
An Arizona native, Greg Linaman received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of Arizona in 1993 and is an honors graduate of the Arizona State University College of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1999.
Greg’s law practice has focused exclusively on real estate matters including substantial work in land use and zoning, land development, eminent domain, foreclosure, title and survey, construction and contracts. Greg has successfully represented many of Arizona’s top developers and homebuilders in a wide variety of venues including trial court, the Arizona Court of Appeals, Planning and Zoning Commissions, City Councils, County Board of Supervisors, and private transactions.
Greg has also served as in-house counsel for a large multi-family developer where he personally managed all aspects of the development business – from site selection to contract and closing; plan review to entitlements and design review; financing to construction; and delivery of the final product.
Greg’s expertise in the development process has been tapped by other attorneys for Continuing Education. He has lectured on real estate topics including annexation and design review in several Arizona municipalities. He has an active participant in real estate industry issues through his membership in Valley Partnership, the Arizona Multihousing Association and the Central Arizona Homebuilders Association.
Past Eminent Domain Experience
The firm has recent experience with the following just compensation projects:
- Light Rail takings in Phoenix on Camelback Road; Central Ave; and Washington Street – approx. eleven;
- Light Rail takings in Tempe – three;
- ADOT roadway expansion near Grand Avenue and the 303;
- ADOT roadway expansion on I-10 near 40th Street;
- APS high-power transmission lines – Wickenburg;
- SRP power substation – Queen Creek;
- SRP power substation – Apache Junction;
- SRP high power transmission lines – County Island areas near 107th Avenue;
- City of Phoenix Tres Rios Project takings ranging from 99th Avenue to 109th Avenue – five;
- City of Chandler public buildings for City Hall project – four;
- Town of Gilbert road widening project;
- City of Phoenix road widening-sewer project – 19th Avenue, North of Happy Valley Road – two;
- ADOT new Route 60 construction, near Superior;
- City of Mesa road widening project;
- Transwestern Pipeline – three;
- ADOT roundabouts in Clarkdale – two;
- City of Phoenix redevelopment project on 24th Street and Broadway – four;
- County Flood Control takings – three;
- City of Glendale Airport expansion;
- City of Prescott Granite Dells area;
- City of Yuma road widenings – three;
- City of Yuma Colorado River Park expansion;
- Power line siting issues in Pinal County;
- Pinal County Old Courthouse expansion.
- Hillside and park land takings in Phoenix and Prescott
The firm has experience in Arizona Superior Courts including Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai, Coconino and Yuma and has experience in the United States Federal District Court concerning ongoing eminent domain matters.
Liaison Staff
Jim West has an emphasis in real estate and government affairs. He is a licensed Arizona real estate salesperson and a Special Commissioner for real property sales for the Maricopa County Superior Court. He manages commercial office space and leases other commercial space for firm clients.
Jim handles various zoning and real estate compliance issues. His background includes work in politics, government, news, and media production. His primary focus is on complex real estate and regulatory issues. He completed a successful multi-year project representing a consortium of six wireless telecommunications carriers in their efforts to locate a system of communication sites along a major transportation corridor through two national forests.
Jim has worked as Director of Communications and Press Secretary for former Arizona Governor, Bruce Babbitt. He also ran the media effort of several regional and statewide political campaigns. His news media background includes time as an award winning news director and documentary producer for a Phoenix television station. Jim uses his television news and documentary production background to produce pictures and videos of real property and comparables to enhance just compensation claims.
Jim has been in private practice for more than 20 years, blending his background of politics and media. He was twice honored at the Houston International Film Festival for producing and directing documentary films. Jim's involvement in the Arizona community includes service on the Board of The Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, The Phoenix Arts Commission, Phoenix Private Industry Council, The State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization, and The Maricopa County Bond Committee.
Jim’s recent experience includes access issues with the Forest Service, private development access issues, variance applications to conform with local zoning requirements, and neighborhood zoning enforcement disputes that focus on grandfathered business activities.
Paralegal Staff
The firm also employs legal assistants with experience in real estate transactions and litigation. The firm’s paralegals respond to requests for information and handle general inquiries from clients, which do not require specific attorney attention.
Rachel Grayczyk has been with the firm since July, 2004. She has legal assisting experience in legal research, civil law, L.L.C. formation, and real property disputes. She holds an Arizona Real Estate Sales License and an Arizona Notary Bond. Ms. Grayczyk also acts as an agent for firm real estate rental collections and accounts. Ms. Grayczyk graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Supply Chain Management at Arizona State University where she maintained the Maroon and Gold Scholarship and consistently achieved placement on the Dean’s List.
Megan Bray has been with the firm since November, 2006. She has administrative experience with a leading Arizona real estate company and legal assisting experience in real property disputes. Additionally, she manages the firm’s receivables. Ms. Bray is currently in her junior year at Arizona State University.
Norman Martin received his Masters in Public Administration summa cum laude from Kent State University with an emphasis in Public Finance. He gained his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University in Transportation. He has twelve years of experience as an elected public official. He has extensive experience in Internet research, including local and state governmental records. Finally, he prepares graphic and visual analyses that assist the firm in its litigation practice. Marty’s specialty is commercial building safety systems.
Facilities of the Firm
Tuscany Place. The offices of Martin & Bell, L.L.C., are located on Coronado Road in Phoenix, Arizona, in the Tuscany Place building. The building is owned by a limited liability corporation controlled by Mr. Martin and Mr. West.
Office Hours. The firm’s Office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Voice Mail records telephone messages made to the office when reception staff is not available.
24-Hour Telecopier. The firm maintains a state-of-the-art telecopy machine, offering telecopies produced by a digital printer. With a dedicated line, the Telecopier can receive documents 24 hours a day.
Equipment. All bookkeeping and administrative services are computerized and each member of the paralegal and clerical staff has an individual computer terminal to facilitate work and the production of documents. The word processing program used by Martin & Bell, L.L.C., is Microsoft Word. The calendaring program used by the firm is Abacus Law.
Real Estate Valuation Tools. Martin & Bell, L.L.C., uses the same market data services customarily used by commercial real property appraisers including a subscription service to CoStar Group, the premier comparative sale information service, Claritas a demographic census tool, and Marshall Valuation Service which provides construction cost information. In addition, the firm has access to all recorded deeds, County Assessor records, FEMA flood maps, Aerial Photographs, and the Phoenix area Multiple Listing Service. The firm’s staff is trained and experienced in the use of these on-line services enabling the firm to quickly extract real property valuation information.
Contact Us
MARTIN & BELL, L.L.C.
365 East Coronado Road, Suite 200
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
602-230-0030 - Telephone
602-604-0004 – Telecopier
Douglas Martin dmartin@martin-bell.com
Leonard Bell leonard.bell@azbar.org
Jim West jimwest@martin-bell.com
Rachel Grayczyk rachel@martin-bell.com