Category wins include litigation, land use, zoning

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466

Detroit —August 21, 2025 —-Daniel Dalton, a founding partner of Detroit-based business, land use, and religious land use law firm Dalton & Tomich, has been named to the 2026 Best Lawyers® list, making his debut appearance  in the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Honoring legal talent annually in more than 70 countries worldwide using its Purely Peer Review® evaluation process, Best Lawyers® is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers.

Dalton was named a 2026 Best Lawyer in the following categories:

  • Land Use and Zoning Law
  • Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
  • Real Estate Law

Dalton is a national leader in religious property law and guides religious leaders and congregations with his expertise. With a masterful understanding of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), he handles the business side of religious property for all faiths to protect the religious organization’s right to use its property within the parameters of its spiritual mission. Since 2004, Dalton has worked with churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and almost all types of religious assembly use throughout the country to secure site plan approval or litigate claims in Federal Courts.  Starting with a case of a very small church against the City of Southfield, Michigan, Dalton has successfully represented all types of religious uses and schools in trial and on appeal across the United States. He also negotiates and litigates matters related to trust clauses for churches who wish to leave their denominations and keep their property.

In addition to his work with faith-based organizations, Dalton has a thriving commercial real estate practice representing developers, particularly in land use and zoning. With a fully rounded understanding of municipal law, Dalton began his career representing local governments in land use and zoning disputes.

A prolific writer, Dalton is the author of Religious Property Disputes and the Law: House of God. Laws of Man., published by the American Bar Association in 2022; the 2020 eBook about protocols for the United Methodist Church separation –What the Proposed UMC Separation Means for Your Church; and the 2017 e-book Navigating the United Methodist Church Trust Clause. His award-winning Litigating Religious Land Use Cases, was published by the American Bar Association in 2014, with a second edition in 2017.

The Best Lawyers distinction is one of several for Dalton. He has been named a Go-To-Lawyer in real estate and a Leader in the Law by the legal trade publication, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, a Michigan Super Lawyer, a DBusiness Top Lawyer, and a Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Executive in Real Estate. Dalton holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School and a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University.

Active in numerous national and regional legal, planning and civic organizations, including past service as an elected official and planning and zoning commission member in his home city of Plymouth, Michigan, Dalton was recently named volunteer of the year by the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce for his work leading Trinity Church’s food pantry. His complete bio and membership activities can be viewed here.

About Best Lawyers®

Inclusion in Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer reviews, using a sophisticated and transparent survey process. The methodology is designed to capture as accurately as possible the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice area. More information is available on the Best Lawyers website.

About Dalton & Tomich

Detroit-based Dalton & Tomich PLC is a versatile law firm representing property owners in site plan approvals, zoning appeals and land use disputes involving zoning, easements, boundary line disputes and access to water. The firm also works with lending institutions and privately held businesses and nonprofits, often in a general counsel capacity. Further, serving as a partner to religious organizations, Dalton & Tomich is a national leader in religious property law land use, notably with cases related to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and denominational splits. Learn more about our services for businesses and religious organizations at https://www.daltontomich.com/.

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