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.…

Marissa Amuial concentrates her practice on land use and development throughout South Florida. She represents clients in a variety of land use and zoning matters, including comprehensive plan amendments, zoning code changes, historic preservation approvals, special area plans (SAPs), development…

Joni Armstrong Coffey has extensive experience in a full range of local government law issues, with particular legal expertise in land use law. She focuses her practice on helping clients achieve optimal results from governmental approval processes and, where appropriate, litigation. Most recently,…

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…

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…

Neisen Kasdin serves as co-office managing partner of Akerman's Miami office. A former mayor of Miami Beach and leader in the revitalization of South Beach, he brings extensive civic experience to his work on urban revitalization and the development of complex, large-scale, multi-use…

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…

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…

Kristofer Machado is a real estate development lawyer. He represents clients in all aspects of land development, with a focus on complex land use and regulatory matters. Builders, investors, lenders, and property owners turn to Kristofer for guidance with their most challenging and often high…

Gus Maxwell, chair of Akerman’s cutting edge Cuba practice, helps Fortune 500 and other U.S. companies develop viable business interests on the island. A Cuban-American, clients appreciate his first-hand knowledge and understanding of Cuba’s culture, government, and business climate. Ranked by both…

Jim Porter is board certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in City, County, and Local Government Law. He concentrates his practice on land use and zoning, as well as government relations, and also has experience with the wireless communications industry, including cellular tower zoning issues.…

With nearly three decades of federal policy experience, including working on Capitol Hill in both chambers of Congress, Jane Sargent advocates for a diverse portfolio of clients before the legislative and administrative branches of government. She works on behalf of local governments, transit…

Rick Spees represents local governments and public entities, as well as companies and non-profit organizations in their interactions with the federal government. Rick represents a wide range of clients in the education, government, healthcare, and transportation sectors, including cities, counties,…

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…