A highly experienced land use, zoning and litigation attorney, Beth often represents national and local developers of commercial and residential properties in all phases of development, permitting and entitlements at the federal, state and local level. Her knowledge and skills in municipal affairs and government relations makes her a powerful leader of any development team. Success in any development is the paramount goal which occasionally requires litigation to secure a client’s rights. Beth has successfully litigated significant property rights cases and is in the forefront of litigation on cases of zoning, planning and eminent domain. In handling all matters related to land use, Beth also handles commercial and environmental litigation, products and professional liability as well as eminent domain, inverse condemnation, civil rights actions and challenges to municipal tax assessments.
Education
- UC Law San Francisco (J.D., 1989)
- University of California, Berkeley (A.B., with honors, 1984)
Admissions
- Rhode Island
- U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Represents hotels, restaurants, marinas and yacht clubs in all phases of development and licensing.
- Development of aquaculture in Rhode Island.
- Represents natural gas power developers and entities in permitting and transactional matters associated with a $350 million dollar sale of a 550 megawatt combined cycle natural gas power plant and a $315 million dollar sale of a 279 megawatt combined cycle natural gas power plant in New England.
- Development of convenience stores with gasoline fueling for Cumberland Farms, Inc.
- Development of numerous national retailer sites.
- Adaptive reuse development of historic buildings for residential and commercial uses employing federal and state credits remediating contaminated sites through agreements with municipal and environmental agencies.
- Development of Green and LEED certified construction.
- Three cases of first impression involving interpretations of the state enabling legislation for zoning, planning, and comprehensive plans, specifically, Munroe v. Town of East Greenwich, 733 A.2d 703 (R.I. 1999), J.C. Realty, Inc. v. Barry, 811 A.2d 1202 (R.I. 2002) and Dallman v. Isaacs, 911 A.2d 700 (R.I. 2006).
- Panel Member, Finding and Owning Your Voice, USLAW Network Women’s Connection, June, 2023.
- Panel Member, Strategies for Leveraging Your Strengths and Improving Your Weaknesses Throughout Your Career, USLAW Network Women’s Connection, June, 2021.
- Perceptions of Women in the Claims and Litigation Arena: Are we Debunking the Myths or Feeding into the Sexism? , USLAW Women’s Connection, July 23, 2020.
- Historic Preservation in Rhode Island: Adaptive Reuse and Historic Tax Credits.
- Major Land Use Laws in Rhode Island.
- Ms. Noonan has lectured on land development, affordable housing, historic preservation and adaptive re-use.
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2007-2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Land Use and Zoning and Real Estate.
- Best Lawyers’ 2025 Lawyer of the Year, Land Use and Zoning, Providence.
- Best Lawyers’ 2024 Lawyer of the Year, Land Use and Zoning, Providence.
- Best Lawyers’ 2020 Lawyer of the Year, Land Use and Zoning, Providence.
- Best Lawyers’ 2018 Lawyer of the Year, Land Use and Zoning, Providence.
- Best Lawyers’ 2017 Lawyer of the Year, Land Use and Zoning, Providence.
- Recognized by Chambers USA America’s Leading Business Lawyers in the field of Real Estate Law.
- Professional Excellence in the Law, Environmental and Land Use, Rhode Island Monthly 2021 – 2024.
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for attorneys.
- Selected as a Rhode Island Super Lawyer, 2008-2023.
- Beth is past president of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association and she formerly served on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island.
- She is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and is the recipient of the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico award for her public service work with the Volunteer Lawyers Association and the Homeless Legal Clinic.
- Beth was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1996 and 2008.