Josh Whitehead is a leading expert in the areas of land use, planning and development, having served as the Zoning Administrator of Memphis and Shelby County Planning and Development for more than a decade. In 2010, as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Memphis, he developed and helped get approved the Unified Development Code, the first major overhaul of the zoning code in 30 years, shepherding it through both the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission. He has also served as the Planning Director for the City of Germantown, where he is currently Assistant City Attorney, largely representing its Economic and Community Development Department.
Mr. Whitehead has represented developers of distribution and logistics centers, subdivisions and the region’s first Topgolf in the land use entitlement process. He also represents homeowners’ and neighborhood associations in the enforcement of private covenants and restrictions.
At Burch, Porter & Johnson, Mr. Whitehead assists his clients by navigating the zoning entitlement process, taking a pragmatic yet strategic approach and relying upon his 15-year experience with the executive, legislative and judicial branches of local government.