Administrative Law

Our firm represents clients in proceedings involving state agencies under Florida’s Administrative Procedure Act, including the promulgation of rules, rule challenges, development permitting, bid protests, certificates of need, declaratory statement petitions, electric utility territorial disputes, and public utilities regulation.

The firm also litigates state and federal constitutional challenges to legislation and administrative agency action. The members of this practice area have represented clients before the Executive Office of the Governor and most of Florida’s administrative agencies, including:

• Department of Financial Services
• Department of Business and Professional Regulation
• Department of Environmental Protection
• Department of Economic Opportunity
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Management Services
• Department of Health
• Department of Revenue
• Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Agency for Health Care Administration
• Public Service Commission
• Office of Insurance Regulation
• Office of Banking and Securities
• Attorney General’s Office of Anti-Trust
• Florida Housing Finance Corporation
• State’s Water Management Districts
• Land Use, Environmental & Local Government Law

Our firm represents county and municipal entities, special purpose governmental entities, regional water supply authorities, regional utilities, private citizens, professionals, and the development industry in these areas: ordinance drafting pursuant to the state comprehensive planning laws; negotiation and drafting of development agreements; complex development permitting, including Developments of Regional Impact; eminent domain and inverse condemnation activities; growth management and land use; hazardous waste and petroleum contamination cleanup; intergovernmental agreements; negotiation, litigation and administrative proceedings of environmental permitting and enforcement actions; submerged land leases and easements; and water law and consumptive water use.

Growth Management

The firm’s experience with growth management issues involves representing both public and private clients in the key elements of Florida’s Growth Management System. The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience in working with local and regional approval authorities, state regulatory agencies, special districts and real estate development entities (commercial, residential and multi-use developments). By having represented both the public and private perspective, the firm is well equipped to present the highest quality services to its clients, in meeting both strategic objectives and plans for successful implementation.

Specific services offered include: applications for local, regional and state government development approvals (especially Developments of Regional Impact); preparation, review and processing of amendments to Local Government Comprehensive Plans; land use planning and zoning approvals; development orders and agreements; formation/implementation of public-private partnerships for real estate development; formation/implementation of special purpose local and regional governmental entities, and negotiations for provision of necessary transportation, water supply, school and utility infrastructure improvements.