Estate and Succession Planning
Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning Department is one of the largest and most respected groups of estate planning attorneys in Florida. We are frequently…
Michael D. Minton
Michael D. Minton
About Michael D. Minton
Michael is the Past President of the firm and current Chair of Dean Mead’s Agribusiness and Solar and Renewable Energy Industry Teams. He represents family businesses with an emphasis on generationally-owned agricultural businesses. He assists with their organizational structure, federal income, estate and gift tax planning and business succession planning. He offers his clients extensive experience focusing on tax issues related to agribusiness, water resource issues related to agribusiness, and new innovation uses of land for value-added propositions, such as conservation easements and carbon credits.
Michael’s clients receive the benefit of his more than 40 years of experience in Florida agri-business and interaction with agencies that regulate the utilization and optimization of their assets and business opportunities. Included among his multiple business and civic activities, he is a member of the Florida Bar Tax Section, serving as a Past Chair and current Member of the Directors Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, and Specialty Tax Areas Committee. Michael is a Board Member for the University of Florida Foundation, Gator Boosters, and a FATAC for the Graduate Tax Program at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
Key Legal Services
Primary Industries
- American Bar Association, Tax Section – Member
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Past Chair – 2018-2019
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Member of Directors Committee
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Past Chair for Long Range Planning Committee
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Past Director for Section Administration
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Past Chair for Agricultural Tax Law Committee
- The Florida Bar, Tax Section - Past Chair for Specialty Tax Areas Committee
- Florida Chamber of Commerce - Member of the Board of Directors
- Florida Chamber of Commerce - Member of Directors Committee
- Florida Chamber of Commerce - Regional Chair for Palm Beach/Treasure Coast
- Martin Memorial Health System - Member of the Board of Trustees
- Martin Memorial Health System - Member of Directors Committee
- Martin Memorial Health System - Finance Committee
- University of Florida College of Law Center of Association, Inc. - Past Chair of Board of Trustees
- University of Florida College of Law Center of Association, Inc. - Past Chair of Florida Alumni Tax Advisory Committee (FATAC)
- University of Florida Foundation – Past Member of the Board of Directors
- Orlando Economic Partnership - Past Member of the Board of Directors
- Orlando Economic Partnership - Member of Water Resource Assessment Team (WRAT) of CFWI
- Florida Tax Watch – Member of the Board of Trustees
- Florida Tax Watch – Member of Directors Committee
- Martin Health Foundation – Past Board Member
- South Florida Water Management District Governing Board - Member, 1997-2001
- South Florida Water Management District Governing Board - Past Vice Chairman
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, Inc. - Past Chair of the Foundation
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, Inc. - Past Member of the Board of Directors
- UCF College of Medicine – Co-Chair of the Charter Class Scholarship Fundraising Committee
- The Florida Bar, Agricultural Law Committee – Past Chairman
- The Florida Bar Foundation, Inc. – Fellow
- Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce – Past Board Member
- Governor's Committee for a Sustainable Treasure Coast – Member and Chair, Natural Resources Committee
- (IFAS) Food and Resource Economics Dept./Food & Agricultural Sciences – Member of the External Advisory Board
- Treasure Coast Agricultural Research Foundation, Inc. – Past Legal Advisor
- Governor's Growth Management Task Force – Past Member
- Judicial Nominating Commission for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit – Past Member
- St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce – Past President
- Indian River State College Foundation Board, Inc. – Member, Past Chair Member of Directors Committee
- Treasure Coast University Task Force – Past Member
- U.S.D.A. Lab Site Selection Task Force – Past Chairman
- Fort Pierce Main Street – Past Board Member
- Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation: University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1982
- Juris Doctor: University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, with honors, 1981
- Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, with high honors, 1979
- Outstanding Tax, Agricultural, and Estates & Trusts Lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2025
- Florida 500 Most Influential Business Leader by Florida Trend, 2018 - 2024
- Environmental Attorney and Tax Attorney, 2007-2024 in Florida Super Lawyers Magazine
- Gerald T. Hart Outstanding Tax Attorney of the Year by The Tax Section of the Florida Bar, 2023 - 2024
- Outstanding Tax Attorney in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2006-2018, 2023-2024
- Top Lop Lawyer in Palm Beach Media Group, 2023
- Top Lawyer in South Florida in The American Registry, 2023
- Outstanding Agriculture Lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2023
- Outstanding Trusts and Estates Lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2023
- Outstanding Tax Attorney in Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite, 2005-2008, 2011-2012, 2014-2015, 2019, 2021
- Florida Blue Key, Honorary Inductee - 2017
- University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) Alumni and Friends Award of Distinction, 2017
- The Living Legacy Award by Treasure Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, 2016
- The Pete Hegener Leadership Award by the St. Lucie County EDC, 2016
- Special Merit Award by The Florida Bar Tax Section, 2009
- Outstanding Conservationist Award, 2003
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award, 1997
- Martindale-Hubbell: AV Rating
- 2024 Saunders Florida Lay of the Land, March 2024, "Report from the Hill", Panelist
- Opportunity Zones: Will Florida Business Capitalize on the Opportunity, Central Florida Development Council Community Stakeholders Special Meeting, Polk City, FL, May 14, 2019
- Hidden Opportunities: Leveraging Florida’s Opportunity Zones, Florida Chamber Economic Outlook and Jobs Summit, Orlando, FL, January 14, 2019
- Tax Policy Discussion: Opportunity Zones, Florida TaxWatch Annual Conference, Ponte Vedra, Florida, November 15, 2018
- Sweeping Changes You Need to Know: Impact of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Estate Planning, Dean Mead Tax Symposium, Fort Pierce, Florida, February 22, 2018
- Panel Moderator, Florida’s Current Climate is Ripe for Solar Energy, Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference (FAFMC), B Resort & Spa, Orlando, FL, November, 2017
- Moderator, Agricultural Cost-Share and Payment for Environmental Services – Identifying and Seizing the Right Opportunities for Your Business, Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference (FAFMC), Omni Orlando Hotel, Orlando, FL, August 25, 2016
- Tax and Succession Planning for Regions Bank Private Wealth Management, The Lighthouse Restaurant, Fanning Springs, February 24, 2016
- Working Together to Advance a Regional Water Strategy, Central Florida Partnership Regional Leadership Forum, Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, November 21, 2014
- With Adversity Comes Opportunity, Third Annual Business & Manufacturing Conference, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, FL, October 8, 2015
- Moderator, Central Florida Water Initiative: Water for Tomorrow, Florida Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention, Omni Orlando Hotel, Orlando, FL, June 16, 2015
- Panel Member, Securing Florida’s Water Future, Florida Chamber’s Board of Governors Capitol Days, March 4, 2015
- Water Policy Panel Discussion, National Pest Management Association’s annual PestWorld Conference, The Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Convention Center, October 22, 2014
- Connecting Our Shared Values with Our Shared Future, Central Florida Partnership’s Regional Leadership Forum, Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, June 19, 2014
- Central Florida Water Initiative- A Regional Response to Avoid a Pending Crisis, 2014 Florida Water Law & Policy Conference, Hyatt Regency, Orlando, FL, February 6-7, 2014
- Changes in Latitudes; Changes in Attitudes: Florida Agriculture is Part of the Solution! 27th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School Conference, Marco Island Marriott Resort, Marco Island, FL, July 16-19, 2013
- After the Storm: How Have Recent Tax Changes Affected Estate Planning and Real Estate Investments? Old Historic City Hall, Fort Pierce, FL, May 16, 2013
- Estate Planning for Land Owners Post ATRA 2012 – Clarity, But Still Not Out of the Woods! National Cattleman’s Beef Association Annual Convention, Tampa, FL, February 8, 2013
- "Conservation Easements – Landowner Guide – The Pathway to Conservation," SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate (June 2024) (Article)
- "Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional, Judge Rules", March 4, 2024 (Blog Post)
- Blog Post, Sunders Ralston Dantzler, "Sunlight In Your Pocket: Solar Energy Tax Incentives," October 23, 2023 (Blog Post)
- "Sunlight In Your Pocket: Solar Energy Tax Incentives," October 10, 2023 (Article)
- Interviewed for the article entitled, "Carbon Markets for Agriculture Still a Work in Progress," GrowingProduce.com, July 2021
- Profiled in the article entitled, "7 Treasure Coast men make Florida Trend's Florida 500 list," Knowhere, September 20, 2020
- Quoted in the article entitled “Four energy trends that affect consumers positively,” Choose Energy, February 27, 2019
- Quoted in Florida Trend Editorial Column about Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, October 2018 Issue
- Interviewed by Florida Trend Viewpoints, The Impact of Recent Tax Law Changes on Florida, August 2018
- Are There Bright Futures in Solar Farming, feature story in Florida Grower magazine, December 14, 2017
- Quoted in the article entitled, Solar Energy from Abandoned Groves, published in Citrus Industry Magazine, November 2017
- Quoted in the article entitled, Bill Nelson: GOP tax plan would burden Florida small biz, published in the Orlando Sentinel, November 21, 2017
- Florida’s Current Climate is Ripe for Solar Tax Incentives, guest column published in The Florida Bar Tax Bulletin, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2, Fall 2017
- Preserving Your Power: 10 Tips for Negotiating a Solar Farm Lease, published in Farm Credit LEADER, Fall 2017
- Florida’s Water Crises: Can We Afford The Solutions? (Part III), co-authored with Brad Gould and Dana Apfelbaum, published in The Florida Bar Tax Section Bulletin, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1, Spring 2017
- Water Wise, Forward Florida – a publication of the Central Florida Partnership, December 2014
- Central Florida Water Initiative - A Regional Response to Avoid a Pending Crisis, co-authored with Laura Minton Young and John Wharton, Florida Engineering Society Journal, September 2014
- 2 Ways Growers Can Adapt In An Improving Economy, co-authored with Laura M. Young, Grower Magazine, February, 2014
- Temporary Tax Relief Provides Significant Planning Opportunities for Small Business Owners, co-authored with Richard I. Withers and Robert J. Naberhaus III, published in Farm Credit of Central Florida, August 2011
- Back to the Future for Estate Tax Planning, Farm Credit Leader, December, 2010
- Legal and Tax Issues of Carbon Credit Trading, co-authored with Christine L. Weingart, AF&PA General Counsels Committee Meeting, May 2010
- Biofuel Tax Incentives Revisited: The Stimulus Bill Stimulating Renewable Energy, published in The Florida Bar Tax Section Bulletin, August 2009
- Biofuel Tax Incentives in Florida Agriculture: Are We Serious About Energy Independence?, published in The Florida Bar Tax Section Bulletin, December 2008
- Year End Estate and Tax Planning for Farmers, published in the Farm Credit Leader, December 2007
- The Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Receipt of Compensation for the Removal of Commercial Citrus Trees, published in The Florida Bar Tax Section Bulletin, September 2006
- Florida
- Indian River State College Foundation, Inc. - Past Chair
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine Endowed Scholarship
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