Akerman LLP

In general, our clients come into contact with government when they are seeking a permit or approval, or when action is being taken against them. Whether the relevant body is a city, county, school board, commission, or any of the administrative arms of the state government, we are equipped to help our clients.

Our work may begin when an organization requires a permit, zoning variance, or license. We will help to prepare the application and represent the organization in appearances before the appropriate administrative body. Should a client be wrongfully denied at this level, our next step, according to Florida's Administrative Procedures Act, will be to seek all applicable rights and remedies in an administrative law proceeding before the Department of Administrative Hearings (DOAH). Finally, we can bring the matter for judicial review, usually in the District Court of Appeal.

At every step in this process, our lawyers are well connected through years of practice and often through their own prior service within local or state government. And often, in a firm as large as ours, one of our attorneys will know the individuals and personalities involved in the matter at the administrative as well as the judicial levels.

Akerman Senterfitt is the proud winner of the 2006 Thomas L. Sager Award for the South/Southwest Region, presented to the law firm that has demonstrated and sustained the highest commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of minority and women attorneys. The firm has also been recognized as the Top Law Firm in the nation for Hispanic Americans by MultiCultural Law magazine, in both 2005 and 2006.

As a leader in the legal and business community, Akerman Senterfitt is proud of its commitment to ensuring equal opportunity generally and within the firm. Throughout its long history, the firm has successfully promoted diversity through vigorous recruitment and retention of minorities and women. The firm is committed to retaining and promoting its women and minority lawyers and staff.

To advance the firm's efforts in relation to diversity issues, Akerman Senterfitt appointed shareholder Joseph W. Hatchett to chair the firm's Committee on Diversity. Judge Hatchett's distinguished jurist career includes serving as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Florida. Judge Hatchett was the first African-American to serve on the Florida Supreme Court and the first African-American to serve as a Chief Judge of a federal appellate court in the Southern United States.

Akerman Senterfitt actively recruits women and minority lawyers to the firm. Many of its shareholders are women and minorities, demonstrating to associates that achieving shareholder status is a real possibility. Women and minority lawyers occupy top management positions in the firm, including service on the board of directors and the associate and paralegal evaluation committee.

The firm's workforce, including every staffing level throughout each of its offices, reflects the diverse cultures. In the delivery of legal services, the firm's lawyers bring all of their experiences, cultures, education, and rich backgrounds to the task. The firm values this diversity because it encourages the innovative thinking that results from a broad range of perspectives.

As Akerman Senterfitt continues to grow, it remains committed to providing a work environment that respects diversity, fosters employment opportunity, and is free from discrimination and harassment. Akerman Senterfitt continuously reviews its hiring, training, evaluation, and compensation practices to ensure that its commitment to diversity and equal opportunity allows its lawyers and staff an equal and ample opportunity to achieve excellence in service of its clients. The firm's mission in this respect is to develop professional opportunities and to foster an environment in which minorities and women may perform proudly and give the firm's clients the benefits of a law firm balanced fully in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Akerman Senterfitt is firmly committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. We consider candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law.