A former deputy general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (now DEP), Silvia Alderman is the chair of Akerman's Water Task Force, a team of multidisciplinary legal professionals and consultants advising on the regulatory and environmental challenges facing our clients.…

Nicholas Barshel practices in the area of land use and development, representing clients in all aspects of the development approval process, including due diligence review, planning and zoning applications, submerged lands issues, dock and marina permits, historic preservation, code compliance, and…

A licensed professional planner and an American Institute Certified Planner (AICP), Richard Bass helps clients navigate the regulatory and political landscapes of New York and New Jersey to guide complex rezoning, special permit, variance applications, and redevelopment plans. His practice focuses…

Richard Bezold immerses himself in the details of a deal, helping clients maximize their investments and advance their business objectives. Chambers USA notes that he is sought after for his "considerable experience advising on real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, financing and…

Jarrett Bingemann represents residential homebuilders, master planned community developers, commercial property owners, and institutional investors on all aspects of the evaluation, acquisition, sale, and development of properties throughout the United States. In addition, Jarrett has experience…

Ellen Castillo is a Senior Urban Planning Consultant in Akerman’s Real Estate Practice Group in Los Angeles. Her practice focuses on providing strategic real property development advice, land use diligence, planning analysis, and entitlement processing across all sectors of development. She offers…

Spencer Crowley's practice focuses on large scale land use and environmental permitting matters, including zoning, growth management, urban development, transportation, sovereignty submerged lands, coastal regulation, marina permitting, wetlands, and water resources. He has worked with the…

Michael Curley is a real estate and urban planning professional with a concentration in land use, zoning, and environmental impact review. His practice focuses on land use and zoning diligence, planning analysis, and applications for discretionary approvals with governmental agencies including the…

For more than 55 years, Kenneth Gordon has concentrated his practice in all facets of real estate development, leasing, sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchanges, condominium development, construction contracting, license agreements, and financing, including workouts for lenders and securitized lending…

Tara Gould focuses her practice on commercial real estate transactions involving acquisition and development on behalf of residential home builders, developers, commercial property owners, and institutional investors. She concentrates on homeowner association and master property owner association…

James Grice focuses his practice on general commercial real estate, primarily representing investors, developers, operators, and users in the data center and digital infrastructure realm. Jim has distinguished himself in the data center and renewable energy sector where he utilizes his intimate…

Chris Hayes represents developers, homebuilders, and investors in the acquisition, development, and sale of real property in Florida and California. He has overseen numerous complex acquisitions and dispositions. As part of his transactional practice, Chris also represents clients in retail and…

Lisa Kolieb focuses her practice on land use and real estate development matters, guiding clients through the land use entitlement process from initial site diligence to ultimate project approval, construction and operation, and advising clients on the government and regulatory aspects of real…

With an established record of creative and effective advocacy, Cindy Laquidara navigates complex litigation matters, from administrative hearings to federal and state trials and appeals. Cindy has 70 published opinions in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Her practice serves municipal…

Michael Larson advises clients on a range of complex environmental law issues arising in litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters. In addition to handling environmental disputes, he routinely assists clients with the cleanup, reuse, repurposing, and redevelopment of Brownfields and other…

With a focus on land use, environmental law and litigation, Rick Leland has more than 45 years’ experience representing real estate developers, universities, non-profit organizations, and industrial companies on the environmental aspects of real estate transactions, development, and land use. Rick’s…

Jason S. Lichtstein serves as managing partner of Akerman’s Atlanta office. Jason focuses his practice on the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields and other contaminated sites in the Southeast U.S. His practice includes a broad range of environmental transactional, environmental regulatory…

Michael McKinley focuses his practice on project development and real estate, with an emphasis on data centers. Michael has experience representing landlords and tenants in a variety of short and long term build to suit leases, co-location leases, master services agreements and service level…

Jim McNeil serves as chair of Akerman's Residential Development Practice, a highly experienced team representing national builders and developers of master planned and mixed-use residential communities throughout the real estate development process.  Jim represents developers, homebuilders, and…

Robyn Neely focuses her practice on environmental site contamination issues related to real estate and corporate sales and acquisitions, and leases, including pre-acquisition, pre-leasing and pre-foreclosure due diligence analysis. Her practice also includes managing the investigation and…

Lisa Orrantia assists clients with real estate matters involving the New York City Zoning Resolution, New York City Construction Codes, and New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. Lisa helps clients obtain approvals from the City Planning Commission for zoning map and text amendments, special permits…

Richard Pinsky has 35 years of government affairs experience in Florida and Washington, D.C. He has an extensive background representing clients before the legislature as well as local government from helping to navigate the budget and appropriation process to issue advocacy. Helping clients…

Serving as Office Managing Partner of Akerman’s Dallas office, Matt Schroeder represents major insurance companies in litigation with significant exposure claims that pose extreme risk of loss to the company. He advises insurance companies not only on related policy coverage issues and disputes, but…

Sarah Campbell Smith focuses on a variety of environmental and energy law matters, with emphasis on the environmental aspects of corporate and real estate transactions. She represents real estate developers, corporations, private equity funds, and financial institutions in environmental site…

Stephen Tilbrook has more than 25 years of experience practicing land use and environmental law, and he focuses his practice on complex land use, development, and environmental matters throughout the state of Florida. He represents property owners, expanding businesses, developers, financial…

Beth Zafonte has helped real estate developers, Fortune 500 companies, institutions, and other public and private businesses across the United States identify more than $3 billion in economic development incentives over the last 35 years. She has represented, Forest City Ratner Companies,…