Our Government, Environmental & Land Department provides a full range of administrative, regulatory and land use representation at all levels of government - local, state, regional and federal.
Administrative and Legislative Advocacy
The lawyers in the Administrative and Legislative Advocacy Group work closely with the Environmental and Land Use Group to handle a wide variety of administrative and legislative issues including representation before federal, state and local administrative agencies, the Department of Administrative Hearings and legislative bodies. Much of the representation relates to interpretations and challenges of laws and regulations, economic development programs, permit approvals and legislative lobbying.
Environmental/Regulatory
Department lawyers handle a full range of regulatory and environmental cases including preventive analyses, underground and above ground storage tanks, violation defense, permitting, contamination assessment, remedial activities, and environmental liability planning and protection. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for regulatory compliance as well as acquisition or disposition of potentially contaminated properties and the resulting negotiations with environmental agencies and consultants. Typical controlling laws and regulations include RCRA, CERCLA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and FIFRA. The Department's lawyers work closely with the clients' existing environmental consultants to proactively minimize environmental liabilities.
Real Estate
Government, Environmental and Land Department lawyers are devoted full time to commercial real estate-related matters, including real estate acquisitions, loans, leases and litigation. Sale and acquisition transactions typically range from $500,000 to $250 million in size. Contingent upon the specific transaction, the Department may represent any party associated with a deal, varying from seller to buyer, lender, broker, developer, or title insurance company.
The Department's lawyers are regularly asked to represent lenders on loan transactions. Such loans are typically secured by real estate, receivables, equipment and inventory, although occasionally, secured loan requests involve special creative financing attributes.
The Government, Environmental and Land Department represents a variety of developers, including developers of P.U.D.'s, office buildings, warehouses, condominiums and other types of properties. The attorneys in this department also handle various types of real estate-related litigation, including eminent domain, title insurance defense, lease disputes, usury claims, suits on guaranties, suits on notes, foreclosures and receiverships.
Land Use
The Government, Environmental and Land Department also provides business and commercial representation in all areas subject to governmental action. Typical representations include negotiations with local governments as well as regulatory agencies and commissions, permit approvals, franchises, developments of regional impact, community development districts, land use and zoning.
Fowler White Boggs Banker has been ranked as a top leading Florida law firm for Zoning/Land Use by Chambers USA for several consecutive years (2004-2007).
Lawyers in this Department represent major developers and businesses including residential, commercial and industrial developers, electronic manufacturing firms, chemical plants, phosphate operations, petroleum storage facilities and commercial and industrial plant operators.
