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Florida In Brief
Florida In Brief
Florida is the fourth largest state in the US in terms of population, and the cities of Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami in particular are all major business hubs for the southeastern US as well as for international business in Latin America.The state’s nominal GDP in 2006 was over $713.5 billion, the fourth largest in the country and among the 20 largest in the world. 34 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Florida, and it is home to four of the 100 fastest growing companies in the US. Among the leading Florida based companies based are Publix Supermarkets, the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States with 2006 retail sales of $21.7 billion; IT product distributor Tech Data; AutoNation car dealers; home building company Lennar and Office Depot, which sold $15 billion of products and services in the 2006 fiscal year.
This range of industry and strength of economy is matched by a similar level of legal expertise, and this is reflected in the selection of over 400 leading lawyers in the following pages. Drawn from a range of firms, from boutiques to national and international entities, we have classified these experts under 24 areas of law. The following firms in this introduction stood out from the field for the depth and breadth of the expertise they command in Florida, and should be considered as the leaders in the state.
Editorial
Editorial: Florida
Editorial: Aviation in Florida
The following chapter identifies 21 individuals from 18 firms, all of whom were consistently recommended to researchers for the strength of their aviation practices.
Editorial: Banking in Florida
Florida’s banking market is undergoing changes: as the number of workouts and restructurings increase because of recent turbulent events in the real estate sector, the amount of transactional work has seen a slight decline.
Editorial: Business Crime in Florida
There are 15 individuals from 10 firms featured in this chapter. The number of boutiques included reflects their high standing in the local market. In addition, several of the lawyers have a background in government at the US Department of Justice (DoJ), giving them an inside perspective and enhancing the service they provide for their clients.
Editorial: Capital Markets in Florida
The lawyers listed in this chapter have a proven track record in representing and advising issuers, underwriters, investment banks, funds, REITs and other market participants on all aspects of equity and debt transactions based in Florida and around the world. They can be considered to be experts in their field of capital markets law; advising on IPOs (domestic, international and global), secondary offerings including rights issues, placements and open offers, PIPEs and other equity issuances. In addition, these practitioners may also have extensive experience in investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings, structured products, repackagings, derivatives and securitisations involving the full range of asset classes.
Editorial: Commercial Arbitration in Florida
Commercial arbitration is firmly established as a popular method for dispute resolution, and has been recognised for some years as a viable alternative to the court system in the United States. This chapter identifies 15 individuals who are leaders in their specific field, and are highly proficient as neutral, panellist or counsel.
Profiled Firms
Firm Profiles: Florida
Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman Senterfitt traces its origins back to the 1920s, when Orlando attorneys Alexander Akerman and John Cheney founded the firm. Since that date it has become central to the Florida legal market; one of the firm’s earliest partners was instrumental in the routing of Interstate 4 through the Orlando area, the procurement of land for Disney World, and the founding of Sun Banks, now SunTrust.
Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP
Bilzin Sumberg’s Miami office is home to over 100 attorneys from a range of legal backgrounds. The firm serves national and international clients in a wide spectrum of industries, including construction, financial services, hospitality, manufacturing, technology and real estate. Ten Bilzin Sumberg partners are included in the following pages across six practice areas.
Carlton Fields PA
A Florida firm with an international profile, Carlton Fields PA is was one of the top performers in the research for this state book, with lawyers from the firm featuring 27 times in a total of 14 chapters.
Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP was founded in 1842 in Milwaukee and began operating in Florida in 1981. The following ten years witnessed mergers with Orlando firm van den Berg Gay Burke Wilson & Arkin PA, Tampa firm Hill Hill & Dickenson PA and Jacksonville’s Commander Legler Werber Dawes Sadler & Howell PA.
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Greenberg Traurig LLP is an international full service law firm with over 1,700 lawyers in offices throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Strategic alliances with Olswang in London and Brussels, Studio Santa Maria in Rome and Milan, and Hayabusa Asuka Law Offices in Tokyo strengthen its global footprint. With 36 listings on the following pages, Greenberg Traurig is as one of the publication’s best-represented firms. The nominations are divided between 16 of the 22 practice areas, highlighting the breadth and depth of expertise on offer to clients.
Focus On Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel Q&A: Florida
Florida Corporate Counsel: David Vetter
Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, Tech Data Corporation
Tech Data Corporation was founded in 1974 and began expanding rapidly in 1983, developing its target markets and redirecting its efforts toward servicing microcomputer resellers as a wholesale distributor. The company has emerged as a leading global provider of IT products, logistics management and other value-added services. Based in Clearwater, Florida, Tech Data and its subsidiaries operate in 26 fulfilment centres in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. With more than 90,000 customers in over 100 countries, Tech Data generated $21.4 billion in sales for its fiscal year ended 31 January 2007.