Meridith H. Moldenhauer

Co-Chair, Zoning, Land Use & Development

Meridith uses her real-world experience with her extensive legal knowledge to provide her clients with creative and results-driven legal advice. Armed with her in-depth business and regulatory background, Meridith works closely with developers, architects, contractors, property owners, and tenants as an integral member of their team.

Meridith has deep roots in Washington D.C., growing up in both Annapolis and Georgetown, attending Georgetown University and the University of Richmond, and building her family on Capitol Hill. Meridith served as a board member and chair of the Board of Zoning Adjustment from 2009 to 2011 as a mayor appointee, appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty. Meridith brings her knowledge of the region to her practice to provide her clients with informed legal insight and useful risk analysis. Meridith’s background in business, in conjunction with her regulatory experience, informs her approach to the practice of law and enables her to deliver realistic risk assessments and options, thus allowing her clients to proceed from an informed perspective. In addition to her focus on zoning, land use, and development, Meridith also possesses experience advising clients on a broad range of licensing, advertising, compliance, and distribution issues before the District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Cozen O’Connor Announces New Group Chairs, Office Managing Partners, Other Promotions

February 15, 2024

The firm announced several new practice group chairs, office managing partners, and leaders of firm committees and initiatives

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Meridith Moldenhauer Named a 2022 GlobeSt. Women of Influence

July 26, 2022

Moldenhauer was recognized at an awards ceremony on July 26, 2022.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Cozen O’Connor Promotes Six Members to Shareholder

August 24, 2020

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the promotion of six members to shareholders.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Publications

How Zoning Changes Will Impact Data Centers & the Energy Market  [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 28, 2024

The data center permitting and entitlement review process might be getting more difficult in Northern Virginia. Home to nearly 300 data centers, Northern Virginia has become known as “Data Center Alley.” Scattered across Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William counties, these data centers handle more...

Mayor Bowser Announces Tax Abatement Program to Spur Downtown Residential Conversions [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 26, 2024

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the writing has been on the wall that downtown D.C. could use a breath of fresh air. With office vacancy rates skyrocketing, the Bowser administration has made no secret of its desire to resuscitate downtown D.C. as a livelier mixed-use neighborhood. One of the...

Major Shake Up in the Department of Buildings’ Zoning Division [Get The Dirt Blog]

January 03, 2023

It is a New Year for D.C. zoning and we are all wondering what 2023 will bring given the recent changes at the Department of Buildings. As of October 2022, the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) was officially dissolved and split into two new agencies – the Department of...

Proposed Chevy Chase Small Area Plan [Alert]

March 17, 2022

Meridith Moldenhauer and Evan Pritchard discuss the Chevy Chase Small Area Plan.

D.C. Council Considers Changes to Condominium Warranty Adjudication Process [Get The Dirt Blog]

September 28, 2020

If the COVID-19 pandemic was not already difficult enough on the D.C. real estate development community, recent proposed legislation by the D.C. Council might make developing condominiums in the city more challenging. On September 17, 2020, the D.C. Council’s Committee on Housing and...

Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration Issues Fines to Restaurants and Bars Violating Social Distancing Measures [Get The Dirt Blog]

September 25, 2020

Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during his testimony before a Senate subcommittee on September 16 that wearing face masks may be more effective than a vaccine at protecting against COVID-19. What is surprising is the authority tasked with...

Zoning Commission Approves Six-Month Extension of Orders Expiring Through December 31, 2020 [Get The Dirt Blog]

September 23, 2020

As part of the initial flurry of administrative and regulatory changes in response to the ongoing pandemic, the Zoning Commission (Commission) took emergency action to approve a text amendment to the Zoning Regulations extending the validity of approval orders that otherwise would expire between...

Board of Zoning Adjustment Reverses Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation on Multiple Dwelling Conversions in the RA-1 and RA-6 Zones [Get The Dirt Blog]

September 21, 2020

On July 1, 2020, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (Board) reversed a decision by the Zoning Administrator (ZA) allowing the by-right conversion of an existing dwelling unit into an eight-unit apartment house in the RA-1 zone. The crux of the appeal in BZA Case 20226 concerns the...

Summary of DCRA Business Licensing Virtual Meeting on COVID-19 Impacts to Operations [Get The Dirt Blog]

April 21, 2020

The District of Columbia’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) – the agency that, among other tasks, issues building permits and business licenses – conducted a virtual meeting on April 15, 2020. More than 500 residents and business owners submitted their business...

Important Update to the Office of Zoning Operations During the COVID-19 Emergency [Get The Dirt Blog]

April 08, 2020

As reported in this blog, on March 20, 2020, the District of Columbia’s Zoning Commission (the commission) and the Board of Zoning Adjustment (the BZA) suspended all public hearings and public meetings. But, in a glimmer of positive news, the District’s Office of Zoning has announced that the...

Fairfax County’s Response to COVID-19 [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 26, 2020

Part one in a series, we will examine the effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on the Fairfax County, Va., commercial real estate development community. The below provides insight into the status of critical Fairfax agencies as of March 25, 2020....

COVID-19 Impact on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 24, 2020

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals (“Court of Appeals” or “Court”) is making significant operational changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as reflected in the March 23, 2020, Order entered by Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby. The change to Court procedures follows suit with many...

Status of D.C. Agencies Handling Commercial Real Estate Development Issues as of March 23 [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 23, 2020

This post is part one in a series that will examine the effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on the Washington, D.C. commercial real estate development community. Whether you are in the middle of construction or at the beginning of project due diligence, COVID-19 will impact all...

DC Office of Zoning Announces Six COVID-19 Changes to Business-As-Usual [Get The Dirt Blog]

March 20, 2020

The District of Columbia’s Office of Zoning (“OZ”) – the independent agency that, among other tasks, accepts development applications to the District’s Zoning Commission (the “Commission”) and Board of Zoning Adjustment (the “BZA”) – remains open for business in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak,...

Mayor to Announce District of Columbia Will Operate Under a Telework Schedule [Alert]

March 13, 2020

Meridith Moldenhauer discusses systems that may be impacted by D.C. mayor's decision to operate under a telework schedule beginning March 16.

Education

  • University of Richmond School of Law, J.D., 2004
  • Georgetown University, B.S., 2001

Awards & Honors

Rising Star, Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, 2013-2019

Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2025

Women of Influence, GlobeSt., 2022

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland
  • Virginia