Steven W. Blaine is the founding partner of the Charlottesville office of LeClairRyan where he focuses his practice on real estate finance and land use law. He has over 25 years experience in representing clients in commercial real estate ventures, including hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, research and industrial parks.
Mr. Blaine has represented numerous investors and developers in sophisticated land use matters, including master plan approvals and rezonings. He is experienced in advising clients through the public land use process in a number of Virginia localities. In 1994, he represented the American Security Council Foundation in their successful rezoning for the 800-acre Conference Facility at Longlea which implemented the first ever Planned Unit Development ordinance for the County of Culpeper, Virginia. In 1996, he represented the University of Virginia Real Estate Foundation in its successful effort to obtain approval for a 3,000,000 square foot, office and research park at North Fork, in Albemarle County, Virginia. In 2003, clients Dierman Realty and Regency Centers were successful in obtaining approvals for a regional shopping center as part of the mixed-use, Hollymead Town Center in Albemarle County. Mr. Blaine acted as the lead consultant on the project. In 2007, Mr. Blaine lead the rezoning effort for a new planned community in Albemarle County, comprising 3100 residential units.
He has worked extensively with local and regional economic development organizations in attracting businesses to the Central Piedmont region of Virginia. Mr. Blaine has served as a Director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Chamber of Commerce, and on the Chamber’s Executive Committee.
Mr. Blaine is a founding director of the Charlottesville-based, Virginia National Bank, a full-service community bank with branches in Charlottesville, Orange and Winchester, Virginia. He currently serves on the Audit and Governance Committees of the Bank’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Blaine is a past Governor of the Virginia State Bar, Real Property Section. From 2003-2007, Mr. Blaine served as a Commissioner for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Jefferson School Restoration, Inc., a non-profit organization formed to preserve the historic, African-American school in Charlottesville.
Mr. Blaine is a 1979 graduate of the University of Virginia and received his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary in 1983. Before joining LeClairRyan, Mr. Blaine was a partner in the Charlottesville office of McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, LLP.