Martin & Bell, L.L.C., is a real estate law firm in Phoenix, Arizona, whose founding partner is certified as a real estate specialist by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of Arizona.  Douglas G. Martin has thirty years of Arizona legal experience and emphasizes real estate, litigation, and transactions. 

Douglas G. Martin has received an "av" lawyer rating from the Martindale-Hubbell directory of lawyers.  That is the highest rating that organization awards.

Douglas G. Martin

Mr. Martin received a degree in Political Science in 1969 from Ohio State University, following which he taught history and coached golf for two years at a Columbus parochial High School and 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 was 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 1975, Mr. Martin entered private practice, in which he has emphasized real estate litigation, including condemnation, ownership disputes, and partition-quiet title actions.

Mr. Martin has been a licensed real estate salesperson and then a licensed broker in the State of Arizona since 1984.

In 1987, he 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.

Mr. Martin has lectured about real estate matters to Arizona bar groups, and he served from 1985 to 1987 as a judge pro tempore at the Maricopa County Superior Court.

Mr. Martin is a past editor of the Real Property Section Journal, a past chairman of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Arizona.  From 1992 through 2000, he has served as chairman, vice-chairman and member of the Real Estate Advisory Commission to the State Board of Legal Specialization.  That group reviews and tests all Arizona real estate law specialists.

Leonard M. Bell

Leonard Bell was admitted to practice law in Arizona in April of 1968.  He has over thirty years of experience as an Assistant Attorney General and in private practice handling valuation matters.  His practice focuses on appraisal litigation involving eminent domain issues and ad valorem taxes.  He has particular experience with severance damage claims and the valuation of undeveloped land.  For example, in a recent 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 a case in which the City had initially offered the owners $306,000.  Mr. Bell has provided presentations for continuing legal education programs in the area of eminent domain and most recently contributed as a presenter for CLE International in its "The Appraisal of Real Estate" seminar held in August of 2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Adam G. Breeze

            Adam Breeze is an Associate with the firm.  He was admitted to practice law in the State of Arizona in July of 2007.  The focus of his practice is Eminent Domain and Condemnation.  Mr. Breeze graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law in 2006.  Prior to attending law school, Mr. Breeze graduated cum laude from Park University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and Management.  Mr. Breeze is also a veteran of the United States Military and served as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps.  Mr. Breeze holds an Arizona Real Estate Sales License and is a member of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Arizona.

Past Eminent Domain Experience

            The partners have experience in the following categories of eminent domain work:

         Complete takings of commercial office buildings

         Complete takings of warehouse/industrial buildings

         Takings of agricultural land

         Condemnation of water companies

         Road widening and sewer project land takings

         Utility easements for electric transmission lines and natural gas pipelines

         Residential takings

         Light Rail takings in Phoenix and Tempe

         Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) road expansion takings in Pinal County and Maricopa County

         Hillside and park land takings in Phoenix and Prescott

         Army Corps of Engineer takings, in conjunction with municipalities, in Phoenix and Yuma

         Road re-routings and widenings in Yuma

         Inverse condemnation as a result of freeway water run-off

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, and real property disputes.  She holds an Arizona Real Estate Sales License and an Arizona Notary Bond.  She is currently studying Business Management at Arizona State University.

Lillian Kirby obtained an American Bar Association accredited Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies from College of the Sequoias in California.  She has held several Board positions in the Sequoia Paralegal Association.  She has five years of experience in estate administration, legal research, civil and business law, and real property.  she recently moved to Arizona from Tulare County, California, where she was employed by the oldest law firm in the county.  She is currently studying Criminology at Arizona State University, and will go on to Law School in August 2008.

Norman Martin received his Masters in Public Administration from Kent State University with an emphases in Finance.  He took 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 Intent research, including local and state governmental records.  Finally, he prepares graphic and visual analyses that assist the firm in its litigation practice.  His specialty is knowledge relating to commercial building safety systems.

Liaison Staff

              Jim West  is a specialist in real estate and government affairs.  His background includes work in politics, government, news, and media production.  His experience allows him to look at issues from a perspective to best determine which approach to utilize in each situation.  His primary focus is on complex real estate and regulatory issues.  He recently 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 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 Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, the Phoenix Arts Commission, Phoenix Private Industry Council, the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization and the Maricopa County Bond Committee.

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 at 365 East Coronado Road, Suite 200.  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. through 5:30 p.m., on Mondays through Fridays, excluding federal holidays.  Staff frequently is available before or after hours, and on weekends.  A 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.