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Heidi K. Short

Senior Counsel

Heidi K. Short is a nationally recognized real estate, land use, and zoning attorney with more than 25 years of experience guiding developers, investors, homebuilders, infrastructure providers, utilities, and aviation and aerospace companies through complex development projects and transactions. Her practice combines sophisticated real estate counseling with deep experience in land use and entitlement matters, allowing her to help clients navigate every stage of a project’s lifecycle, from acquisition and planning through approvals, development, financing, and disposition.

Heidi advises clients on a broad range of land use and development matters, including rezonings, planned developments, annexations, development agreements, conditional use permits, subdivision strategy, and public hearing processes. She has secured entitlements for large-scale master planned communities, mixed-use developments, industrial facilities, hospitality and resort projects, retail centers, aviation facilities, military training sites, energy projects, and other complex developments requiring coordination among governmental agencies, community stakeholders, and regulatory authorities.

In addition to her entitlement practice, Heidi is an experienced transactional attorney who regularly represents clients in acquisitions and dispositions, easement negotiations, public-private partnerships, infrastructure development, development agreements, and real estate projects involving public financing mechanisms. She has extensive experience structuring transactions and development frameworks that align operational, regulatory, and business objectives while mitigating long-term development risk. Her work has included matters involving railroads, utilities, federal agencies, airports, and large-scale infrastructure assets.

A significant portion of Heidi’s practice focuses on aviation, aerospace, industrial, and infrastructure-related developments. She advises on zoning and land use strategies for airports, aviation training facilities, business parks, power generation facilities, utility infrastructure, and other operationally intensive projects that require careful coordination of regulatory approvals, development obligations, and long-term operational needs. Her background also includes representing national homebuilders, commercial developers, master planned community developers, institutional investors, military contractors, and infrastructure operators throughout Arizona and the Southwest.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., with honors, University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1996
M.S., Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996
B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 1992, Economics

Recognitions

  • Ranked in Chambers USA for Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (2014-2026)
  • Named an AZ Business Leader for Land Use by Arizona Business Magazine (2024)
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law and Land Use & Zoning Law (2010-2025)
  • Arizona Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2008-2011, 2018-2019)
  • Outstanding Women Honoree, Junior League of Phoenix 75th Anniversary (2009)
  • Named among “20 Women Who Will Shape Arizona by 2020,” Arizona Woman Magazine and The Arizona Republic (2007)

Memberships

Arizona Women’s Appointment Collaboration, Past Chair

Junior League of Phoenix, Former Board Member

Arizona Planning Association, Former Member

Arizona Chamber Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Former Member

Executive Council Real Property Section State Bar of Arizona, Former Member

Arizona Forward Association fka Valley Forward Association, Past Chair

City of Phoenix, former Zoning Adjustment Hearing Officer

State Bar Licenses

Arizona

Court Admissions

U.S. District Ct., District of Arizona

Aviation & Aerospace

  • Secured entitlements and transactional approvals for a parachute training airfield, coordinating FAA airspace considerations with local land use compliance
  • Represented the developer of a 290-acre airfield business park, integrating aviation training facilities, research uses, and supporting infrastructure
  • Advised a regional airport on development agreements and real estate coordination with adjacent master planned communities under modified flight paths

Industrial & Infrastructure

  • Represents a manufacturer and distributor in securing entitlements for expansion of a 400,000+ gallon industrial storage facility, including a companion rezoning
  • Secured land use entitlements and real estate approvals for an international merchant power company for a 1,060-megawatt natural gas–fired power plant
  • Provides ongoing representation to a military contractor on land use and real estate matters coordinated with a Foreign Trade Zone framework for specialized training and testing facilities

Master Planned & Commercial Development

  • Represented a national master planned community developer in the acquisition and ongoing development of a 5,000+ acre community, including community facilities district financing for major infrastructure
  • Secured approvals and provided transactional support for hotels, entertainment venues, retail, office, and mixed-use developments
  • Obtained major planned development amendments for large-scale mixed-use projects, including Class A office and multi-story hotels

Public Private & Specialized Transactions

  • Structured and negotiated federal land exchanges with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Postal Service, including build to suit federal facilities
  • Served as primary real estate counsel to a national freight railroad on easements, development coordination, and infrastructure matters
  • Acts as primary counsel to a water utility operating through a Community Facilities District, including assistance with WIFA financing
  • Advises institutional investors on zoning entitlements, mixed use GPLET transactions and related development agreements

The Clark Hill approach is equally pragmatic and growth-minded, which is why we understand our clients’ toughest business challenges. Our multidisciplinary, global team of advisors focuses on smart legal solutions, delivered simply.

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