Mr. Braselton is a shareholder at Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, P.A. His practice emphasizes real estate related litigation, with a particular focus on eminent domain, land use and property ownership disputes. In addition, Mr. Braselton has substantial experience (in both a litigation and non-litigation context), in a variety of real estate valuation matters and municipal law. For the past four (4) years, Mr. Braselton has been listed in Best Lawyers in America with regard to his work in eminent domain.
Mr. Braselton received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois in 1976. Upon graduation, he began a career as a civil engineer during which he practiced both as a private consultant and, for a period of approximately two years, in the public sector with the Arizona Department of Water Resources. During his private engineering practice tenure, Mr. Braselton obtained registration as a professional engineer in Arizona and Illinois.
In 1986, Mr. Braselton obtained his law degree (J.D.) cum laude from Arizona State University. While in law school, he served as Note and Comment Editor for the Arizona State Law Journal and authored an article, "Protecting Computer Software: Lessons from the Chip Act." 1986 Ariz., State Law Journal, 337, which was published shortly after his graduation. Mr. Braselton was selected for membership in the legal honorary society, Order of the Coif.
Illustrative of the type of matters to which Mr. Braselton devotes his practice are the following:
- With regard to eminent domain matters, Mr. Braselton has represented and/or currently represents governmental entities, including the City of El Mirage, the City of Scottsdale, the Maricopa County Stadium District, the City of Peoria, the Town of Queen Creek and the City of Tempe. In representing those entities, he has assisted in their acquisition of both real property and related property rights, including property interests such as leasehold interests, air rights, subterranean rights, access easements and innumerable temporary construction easements.
- In representing property owners with regard to eminent domain matters, Mr. Braselton has successfully asserted claims with regard to a variety of severance damage circumstances, special use properties and leasehold interests.
- In representing governmental and private clients, Mr. Braselton has both defended and asserted a variety of claims with regard to the relocation aspects of condemnation based upon the federal regulations set forth in 49 CFR Part 24.
- He has served as trial counsel in numerous condemnation lawsuits involving a determination of the compensation which must be paid by various governmental entities to certain individuals and entities which own real property located within corridors designated for proposed public improvements. Mr. Braselton has served as counsel to the Maricopa County Stadium District in connection with its acquisition of more than 20 parcels of land needed as the site for the Bank One Ballpark (now called “Chase Field”), the major league baseball facility located in downtown Phoenix. Among the matters he has handled on behalf of landowners, is a three-week jury trial in Yavapai County Superior Court in which his client received an award of more than $3.8 million for its property in the context of a condemnation for a then-proposed sewage treatment facility located just outside of the City of Sedona, Arizona. More recently, he completed one-week trial in Maricopa County Superior Court in which the jury awarded Mr. Braselton’s client the full amount of just compensation as testified to by the landowners’ appraiser.
- He represented the landowner/developer in litigation regarding whether a municipality’s issuance of a Conditional Use Permit is subject to a voter referendum. This matter (in which Mr. Braselton’s client was successful) was appealed to the Arizona Court of Appeals and an opinion from that Court was published, thereby establishing new law in Arizona.
- Mr. Braselton represented the City of Tempe in connection with the eminent domain actions needed in order to acquire the balance of the property required for the Tempe Marketplace redevelopment project.
- In another case that resulted in a Court of Appeals opinion establishing new law in Arizona, Mr. Braselton represented the owners of property that the City of Phoenix attempted to condemn for park purposes. In this case, Mr. Braselton was successful in opposing the City’s right to condemn property that is located outside its municipal boundaries.
Mr. Braselton is a member of the Real Property section of the Arizona Bar Association and has served on the Real Estate Specialization Committee of the Arizona State Bar. In addition to his principal practice in Arizona, Mr. Braselton is licensed to practice law in Illinois. 
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