LAND USE & ZONING

The Firm's reputation in the Land Use and Zoning practice area is well known nationally as well as throughout Florida. Our clients include property owners, real estate developers, financial institutions, national corporations, insurance companies and pension funds. One of the Firm's senior partners has practiced in this area more than 30 years and is acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent land use lawyers in the country. Other attorneys in the firm practicing in this area include a former general counsel for the Florida Department of Community Affairs, a former general counsel for the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, and a Senior Planner with the South Florida Regional Planning Council.

The Firm's Land Use and Zoning practice offers clients a wide range of services -- from municipal special exceptions, variances, rezonings and land use plan amendments to the approval of hundreds of large scale projects, including many designated as Florida Developments of Regional Impact ("DRIs"). The firm has obtained numerous approvals for DRIs, modifications to DRIs, vested rights for DRI-size developments, and non-DRI status "binding letters."

Florida has experienced rapid growth, particularly, over the last 30 years. Along with this growth, there has evolved an increasingly complex local, state and national regulatory structure that developers must address to obtain development approvals. The Firm's Land Use attorneys possess the skill to advise clients in all aspects of the regulatory process. Our attorneys were actively involved in the adoption of both of Broward County's Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Dade County's most recent Comprehensive Land Use Plan and the land use plans of many of the cities in the South Florida area. We have also successfully processed many amendments to these land use plans concurrently, with other approvals required for development such as DRI development orders, zoning changes, platting, site planning and environmental permits.

The Firm's Land Use and Zoning attorneys typically coordinate all aspects of the approval process for complex developments including the supervision of technical consultants, presentations before governmental bodies, lobbying of elected officials and serving as the primary contact for the client so that the client may quickly and efficiently learn the status of the approval process at all times.

Our Land Use and Zoning attorneys frequently work in conjunction with our other Firm attorneys in such practice areas as Environmental, Corporate, Governmental, Real Estate and Litigation to fully serve our clients' needs. For example, in the area of litigation, our attorneys litigate Bert Harris Act claims, challenges to newly adopted comprehensive plans or zoning regulations, denials of rezoning or site plan applications utilizing the experience of various Firm attorneys, our Land Use and Zoning Practice Group has created community development districts, special taxing districts and drainage districts and has obtained development approvals for solid waste facilities, for properties containing environmentally sensitive lands and for properties located within coastal construction lines. Our Land Use and Zoning attorneys are knowledgeable in the areas of inverse condemnation, takings and 1983 litigation; they work with our attorneys in the Litigation practice to prevent litigation and to ensure that clients are fully protected should litigation become necessary.

The experience and knowledge of our Land Use and Zoning attorneys, combined with the experience of other attorneys within the Firm, enable us to provide our clients with the most skilled representation possible in this area of law.