Michael V. Phillips

Michael is a real estate attorney whose practice focuses on zoning and land use, historic preservation, real estate tax, code enforcement and related real estate litigation. He represents developers, property owners, investors and businesses in complex matters affecting the use, development and value of real estate throughout Philadelphia and New Jersey, with particular experience in contested proceedings, administrative appeals and difficult regulatory issues.

Michael regularly appears before the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, Philadelphia Historical Commission and Philadelphia City Planning Commission, as well as municipal planning and zoning boards throughout New Jersey. His practice encompasses zoning and development approvals, variances and special exceptions, site plan and subdivision approvals, permitting and licensing matters, code enforcement and appeals from administrative decisions.  He also guides major multifamily and mixed-use developments through Philadelphia’s Civic Design Review and broader land-use entitlement processes.

Historic preservation is a significant focus of Michael’s practice. He represents owners and developers in individual and historic district nominations, financial hardship and public interest applications, adaptive reuse matters and appeals of Historical Commission decisions. His representations have included successfully defeating or limiting proposed historic designations, challenging several significant Philadelphia historic district designations, and obtaining approvals based on financial hardship or public interest. Michael has also been directly involved in negotiating and drafting proposed reforms to Philadelphia’s historic preservation ordinance and is frequently quoted in the media on historic preservation and land use issues.

Michael maintains a substantial real estate tax practice, representing owners of major Philadelphia office, multifamily and other commercial properties in assessment appeals and related tax matters. Since 2025, he has obtained or negotiated reductions totaling more than $250 million in assessed value and helped obtain extraordinary nunc pro tunc relief preserving eligibility for valuable real estate tax abatements despite missed statutory filing deadlines.

Michael began his career as a commercial litigator and continues to handle select real estate disputes, including code enforcement matters, party wall disputes, quiet title actions and other litigation involving real property. His litigation background is particularly valuable in contested zoning and historic preservation proceedings and appeals, while his prior transactional real estate experience keeps his focus on the practical and economic objectives underlying a client’s project.

Prior to joining the firm, Michael was a partner at a mid-sized regional law firm and served as chair of their zoning and land use group.

Representative Experience Incluudes:

• Historic preservation. Established financial hardship permitting demolition of the historically designated John Stortz & Son property at 208–12 Vine Street, paving the way for the demolition, sale and redevelopment of the property.
• Contested historic designations. Successfully persuaded the Philadelphia Historical Commission to unanimously decline to designate 430 N. 4th Street despite recommendations supporting designation from Commission staff and its advisory committee and the Commission’s determination that the property satisfied the criteria for historic designation.
• Major development approvals. Regularly represents developers in the entitlement of major multifamily and mixed-use developments throughout Philadelphia, including projects containing hundreds of residential units and significant commercial components, and guides projects through the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and Civic Design Review process.
• Appellate land use litigation. Successfully defended zoning and building permits for a one-million square-foot industrial development through separate Commonwealth Court appeals and subsequent proceedings before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
• Contested zoning matters. Successfully reversed the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment’s denial of a special exception permitting a nonprofit organization to provide integrated medical services to a vulnerable and underserved population following substantial community and political opposition.  Also successfully appealed the denial of a special exception for a proposed national coffee chain in Fishtown following significant neighborhood opposition, and obtained zoning approval for a long-stalled mixed-use development at 9^th and Wharton Streets after prior developers had been unable to advance the site in the face of nearly 30 years of community opposition and prior denials of variance requests.
• Development and regulatory matters. Secured zoning and land use approvals for projects ranging from a major international chocolate manufacturer’s first U.S. facility to large multifamily and mixed-use developments throughout Philadelphia and New Jersey;  obtained a rarely granted floodplain variance enabling the adaptive reuse of an office building into 117 residential units; and resolved complex zoning and licensing issues for an approximately 500-unit residential portfolio.
• Real estate tax. Since 2025, has obtained or negotiated assessment reductions totaling more than $250 million for major Philadelphia office and multi-family properties.

Co-author, “Pennsylvania General Assembly Passes SB 1218; Establishes a Temporary ‘Philadelphia 250’ Permit and Extended Alcohol Service Hours This Summer,” March 30, 2026

Quoted, “Philly homeowners push back against a wave of new historic districts,” Billy Penn, August 6, 2025

Quoted, “Are Philadelphia’s historic preservation regulations too strict?” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 30, 2025

Co-author, “Pennsylvania 2026 Property Tax Assessment Appeal Deadlines Are Approaching,” July 21, 2025

Presenter, “Philadelphia & Suburban Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Appeals: What to Know as Filing Deadlines Approach,” accredited CLE program, June 17, 2025

Co-author, “Philadelphia Announces No New City-Wide Property Tax Reassessments for Tax Year 2026,” April 3, 2025

Co-author, “Municipalities Required to Abide by New Jersey Affordable Housing Law,” January 15, 2025

Quoted, “Five-story apartment building proposed for historic Detweiler House,” Chestnut Hill Local, July 17, 2024

Quoted, “The Historical Commission has created a historic district in Spruce Hill decades after designation was first proposed,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12, 2024

Presenter, “Philadelphia & Suburban Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Appeals: What to Know as Filing Deadlines Approach,” accredited CLE Program, June 18, 2024

Co-Author, “Pennsylvania 2025 Property Tax Assessment Appeal Deadlines Are Approaching,” June 7, 2024

Co-author, “Trial Court Disqualifies Planning Board Members From Voting on Developer Application,” May 14, 2024

Quoted, “Demolition Permits Issued for Revolution-era Stortz Buildings in Old City,” Hidden City Philadelphia, April 19, 2024

Quoted, “Spruce Hill Historic District is Facing Opposition From Student Housing Companies,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 15, 2024

Quoted, “Philadelphia Architectural Panel Recommends Changes to Proposed Hotel at 7th and Chestnut,” Philadelphia Business Journal, January 24, 2023

Author, “Philadelphia Revised Assessments Due Out Today,” March 31, 2022

Press Release, “Michael Phillips Expands Zoning and Land Use Practice at Klehr Harrison,” May 17, 2021

• A recent engagement by over two dozen property owners in opposition to efforts to create a Jewelers Row Historic District.
• Obtaining a variance for a long-vacant parcel across from Pat’s King of Steaks in East Passyunk. After nearly 30 years of community opposition to proposed developments and denials of variance requests for the 9,500 sq. ft. parcel, Michael helped the developer obtain zoning approval for a 4-story, mixed-use building with 5,000+ sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space and 21 apartments as well as 3 single-family homes fronting Wharton Street. Most importantly, he was able to work with the community for many months to obtain their support for the proposed development.
• Handling zoning due diligence for all prospective acquisitions for numerous real estate development companies.
• A $1.4 million construction defect claim settlement was featured in The Legal Intelligencer’s article “Case Over Alleged Defects at Condos Is Settled”(January 8, 2013) and in The Pennsylvania Record (January 21, 2013). The case centered around homebuyers who purchased newly constructed condo units only to find major issues with their units and the building, which the developer refused to address.