Land Use

Bilzin Sumberg's Land Use & Government Relations attorneys have substantial experience regarding the Fair Housing Act and have handled several landmark affordable housing cases, including cases that have gone all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Our team is comprised of the foremost attorneys in the area of affordable housing. In this capacity, we also seek tax incentives and other governmental entitlements beneficial to our clients.

With extensive experience representing government agencies and private property owners in historic preservation cases, our attorneys are able to apply their understanding of both sides to provide a competitive advantage to our clients. In addition, several Bilzin Sumberg attorneys are former government lawyers who have written preservation codes and represented municipal, county and state governments in pursuing historic designation, as well as archeological designation.

On behalf of property owners, our lawyers have successfully avoided historic designations of properties and historic and archeological codes that overburden owners of historically designated properties. We also have vast experience in obtaining ad valorem and federal tax credits for rehabilitation projects on behalf of our clients.

Many of our clients have had business interests or development projects that integrate historical and archeological elements, negotiations with governmental agencies, discovery, cataloging and ownership transfers of artifacts. Our team has been involved in numerous landmark cases throughout Florida, including: The Miami Circle, Allen Drug Store, Coral Rock House, Fontainebleau Hotel, The Seville Hotel, Arlington-Savoy Hotel and Madden's Hammock.

Our attorneys work closely with Bilzin Sumberg's Technology & Telecommunications Group to counsel telecommunications and internet technology clients that are redeveloping existing buildings into telecom/internet facilities designed to house and support sophisticated equipment necessary to relay telecom/internet traffic. We also provide counsel in the highly specialized leasing of telecom/internet facility space to a variety of tenants and have considerable experience in the procurement and implementation of radio communications systems for public entities.

Bilzin Sumberg's Land Use & Government Relations Group has experience in all aspects of the comprehensive planning process, from initial application preparation through adoption of and challenges to comprehensive plan amendments. Our attorneys have comprehensive planning experience preceding the initial adoption of the State of Florida Growth Management Act and the initial adoption of several local government comprehensive plans. Our Group has worked on comprehensive plan amendments in several counties throughout Florida and often lecture statewide on the comprehensive planning process. A significant number of our attorneys are former state and local planners, providing unique insight, key relationships and both the legal and practical knowledge of the planning process. Our counseling includes guidance and technical assistance to developers and property owners seeking to increase or alter the permissible use of their properties.

Planned development regulations can create a variety of potentially difficult land use, comprehensive planning and zoning issues, but also provide an opportunity for innovation and creative development.  Our attorneys work closely to lead our clients through each stage of their development projects providing more than just representation: We serve as an advisor to our clients.

Our firm assists clients with the details of platting and subdivision regulations throughout Florida.  We also guide clients toward acceptable alternatives to platting, in an effort to save our clients considerable time and money.

We have extensive experience dealing with all types of permitting issues, from building and zoning to utilities to environmental and public safety agencies. We have access to federal, state and local government staff at all levels to help expedite permitting decisions and facilitate coordination between agencies.

Bilzin Sumberg's Land Use attorneys handle all aspects of zoning due diligence, rezoning and obtaining other zoning relief such as special exceptions and variances. We are familiar with zoning law and land use trends that affect the implementation of zoning regulations and the marketability and valuation of land. Bilzin Sumberg has significant experience in representing clients through the myriad issues they face in the zoning process, including concurrence compliance, public hearings, zoning litigation and judicial review.

We represent developers, landowners and public agencies in challenges involving local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Our clients look to us to resolve the obstacles that can delay planning and construction, cause huge cost-overruns or completely stop their projects from being developed.

Our Land Use attorneys have substantial experience representing clients in preparing DRI analyses and assembling knowledgeable consulting teams for all types of developments. We have counseled clients in preparing and presenting DRIs throughout Florida and in the implementation and monitoring of approved DRI projects. We have been very successful in obtaining comprehensive plan amendments in conjunction with DRI approvals.

Bilzin Sumberg's Land Use & Government Relations Group has extensive experience representing clients in all aspects of state and local regulation, including quasi-judicial hearings, code enforcement, administrative appeals and litigation. Our attorneys represent clients in the areas of ad valorem tax appeals, business regulation, contracting and project development, legislative consultation and lobbyist registration and reporting requirements. We also assist clients with rule challenges and other administrative proceedings involving challenges to licenses, permits, comprehensive plan amendments, bid protests and other matters governed by the Administrative Procedures Act.

We represent private clients at administrative hearings and, when necessary, litigate real estate tax assessment appeals. On behalf of both public and private entities, we have litigated eminent domain issues, the acquisition and leasing of real estate and the dedication and excavation of public streets and rights-of-way.

Our Group handles appellate matters in all state and federal courts, covering a wide range of substantive civil law. We also support the Litigation Group's trial lawyers by briefing and arguing complex pretrial issues, monitoring trials with a focus on preserving appellate arguments, and handling critical motions during and after the trial. Our attorneys have extraordinary experience in handling cases involving appellate review of land use decisions.

In conjunction with our Government Relations practice, our Land Use Group offers a broad range of services to clients engaged in advocacy and regulatory affairs. We have working relationships with government officials and staff at local, state and federal level providing the direct, hands-on access crucial to moving a project or business interest forward. Additionally, we provide services in the areas of administrative law and regulatory affairs, and we regularly assist clients in the increasingly complex area of compliance with state, federal and local campaign finance and ethics requirements.