Engel, Denis A.

Ben Emerson practices in the areas of local government, finance, land use and commercial real estate. As chief financial officer of Sands Anderson and a member of the firm's three person Board of Directors for more than 10 years, he is actively engaged in the governing and management of the firm. He is a member of Sands Anderson's local government practice group and acts as County Attorney to Caroline County and Assistant County Attorney to Essex County, to whom he provides advice on contract, procurement, zoning and land use, tax-exempt financing, economic development and Virginia Freedom of Information Act issues.

He frequently assists the firm's government clients in financing equipment and infrastructure needs through lease-purchase and tax-exempt financings, as well as in solving cash-flow problems through short-term revenue anticipation financings.

Ben has represented localities in acquiring land for public purposes and financing for courthouses, fire and rescue facilities, landfills and public school expansion projects. In addition to financing governmental projects, he has represented issuers and underwriters in private activity and other bond financings throughout Virginia, including such diverse financings as the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, a motorcycle sidecar manufacturing facility in Nelson County and the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy.

Ben advises Sand Anderson's governmental clients on a variety of zoning and subdivision issues including:

• Interpretation of state and local land use laws

• Cash and non-cash proffers

• Special Exception permits

• Nonconforming uses

• Vested rights

• Subdivision requirements

His commercial real estate experience includes many years of representing financial institutions in financing the development of office, retail and industrial projects throughout Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. His peers named him to Best Lawyers in America and the Virginia Business' "Legal Elite" since 2007.

Ben is a past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Club of Richmond, a past President of the Central Virginia Investment Council and a former member of the Board of Directors of the City of Richmond's Alternative Dispute Resolution Center. He is an active member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church where he serves on the vestry, and has chaired the Every Member Canvas and annual parish retreat. He continues to sing in the choir serve as s subdeacon and verger. For many years, he worked with the Boy Scout Troop sponsored by the church in a leadership role, served on the troop committee, and led the troop's annual fundraising efforts. He is on the state council of the Society of Colonial Wars in Virginia and a former associate professor of theatre at Longwood University.