Experience
Chip focuses his practice on representing private and public clients before federal, state and local government agencies. He is part of the Government and Administrative & Regulatory practice groups, and he is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice.
Before joining GrayRobinson, Chip served as City Attorney for the City of Tampa where he managed a team of 22 lawyers representing the City of Tampa in a wide range of matters, including land use, economic development, labor and employment, environmental, ethics, and elections law.
While in private practice, Chip represented public and private clients in civil litigation, regulatory and administrative law matters, including: regulatory enforcement and compliance, state and federal rulemaking, and judicial review of federal, state and local government actions. One of his noteworthy successes was strategically developing and effectively executing a plan to protect a client's capital investments through litigation, legislative action, and public relations. Chip also saved clients millions of dollars in regulatory compliance costs by successfully advocating for changes in controversial federal regulations governing Everglades restoration.
Chip has a demonstrated commitment to public service. In his career he has worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an environmental engineer, the Florida House of Representatives as a policy analyst, and most recently for the City of Tampa as City Attorney. He also served an interim term on the Tampa City Council and represented the City of Tampa on the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program.
Chip's blog on rules regulating the business of Floridians is at www.thefloridacode.com.
Professional
· The Florida Bar, 1996-present
- Board Certified in State & Federal Government & Administrative Practice, 2008-present
- State & Federal Government & Administrative Practice, Board Certification Committee, 2010-2013
- Administrative Law Section, Member
- City, County and Local Government Law Section, Member
· American Bar Association, 1997-present
- Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources
· U.S. Supreme Court, 2000-present
· U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2001-present
· U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1997-present
· Florida Board of Professional Engineers, EIT, 1991
· Tampa Bay Business Journal, "40 Under 40 Award" recognizing emerging leaders, 2000
· "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell
· Florida Trend Magazine "Legal Elite," 2009, 2011
Civic
· Leadership Tampa Alumni, Board of Trustees, 2006, 2011
· Leadership Tampa, Class of 2005
· Voices for Children of Hillsborough County, Board of Directors, 2002-present
Publications and Seminars
· "Water P3 Concepts for Florida - A Lawyer's Perspective on P3 Structures," Water Choices IV, Tampa, November 2011
· "Water P3s in Florida - A Lawyer's Perspective on P3 Structures," National Council for Public-Private Partnerships, Tampa, October 2011
· "Municipal Regulation of Cell Phone Towers," Strafford Webinar, July 13, 2011.
· "Private Investment in Water Supply Development - Does Florida Law Prevent It?," Florida Water Law, Water Supply, Water Quality & Public/Private Partnerships Conference, CLE International, Tampa, Florida, May 2011.
· "A Lawyer's View of New Federal NNC Rule Implementation and Redevelopment in Coastal Urban Cities" Opening Address of the Florida Stormwater Association Winter Conference, Tampa, December 2010.
· "Who Owns Reclaimed Water?," ABA Environment, Energy, and Resources Law Summit, Baltimore, MD, September 2009
· "Hydropolitics of the Everglades - How Congress Controlled Water and Power in The Everglades," presented at "Water and Civilization" U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and International Water History Association, Paris, France, 2005
· "Ethical Considerations When Dealing with State and Local Governments," Lorman Education Services Legal Ethics Seminar, various dates and locations 1999 through 2005
· "Obstacles to Desalination in the Southeastern United States," International Desalination Association 2003 Biennial World Congress, Nassau, Bahamas, 2003
· Water Resource Management in Florida: A Call for Statewide Leadership, 18 Journal Of Land Use & Environmental Law 113 (2002)
· The Politics of Municipal Incorporation in South Florida, 12 Journal Of Land Use & Environmental Law 215 (1997)