Dennis W. Hillier

Dennis W. Hillier

West Palm Beach, FL recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2007
Greenberg Traurig

629 Best Lawyers awards

Greenberg Traurig logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Real Estate Law

Biography

Dennis W. Hillier, founding partner of the law firm Hillier & Associates, P.A., concentrates his practice on corporate and real estate law, with emphasis on the design of club membership programs. Dennis is recognized as the pioneer in the industry of equity club conversions and membership programs. During the past 30 years, he has designed more than 1,800 membership programs throughout the United States, Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Dennis has designed these programs for a wide variety of developments encompassing a broad range of amenities and target markets, including golf, tennis, equestrian, yacht and social facilities for communities with low density and permanent residents, to resort-oriented communities.

Dennis also has wide-ranging experience in preparing the legal infrastructure for residential and resort developments, including property owners association documents, declaration of restrictive covenants, sales contracts and sales registration requirements, real estate acquisition and disposition agreements, and environmental compliance plans.

His knowledge of the hospitality industry also includes preparing management, operational, franchise, financing and refinancing, and recreational access agreements for resorts.

Greenberg Traurig

629 Best Lawyers awards

Greenberg Traurig logo

Overview

  • University of Florida, J.D., graduated 1968
  • University of Florida, graduated 1968
  • University of Florida, BSBA, graduated 1965

  • Florida, The Florida Bar

  • American Bar Association - Member
  • Florida Bar Association - Member
  • National Club Association - Member
  • National Golf Foundation - Member
  • Palm Beach County Bar Association - Member
  • Urban Land Institute - Member
  • Florida, The Florida Bar
  • American Bar Association - Member
  • Florida Bar Association - Member
  • National Club Association - Member
  • National Golf Foundation - Member
  • Palm Beach County Bar Association - Member
  • Urban Land Institute - Member
  • University of Florida, J.D., graduated 1968
  • University of Florida, graduated 1968
  • University of Florida, BSBA, graduated 1965

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Real Estate Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Land Use and Zoning Law
Special Focus:
  • Community Associations
  • Development
  • Golf and Resort Law
  • Marinas
  • Private Club Law
  • Real Property Law
  • Residential
Awards:
  • AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5
  • Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2011 and 2012
  • Winning Team, Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate, 2010 and 2013
  • The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2013

Case History

Cases
  • Areas of Concentration
  • Recreation and hospitality practice
  • Real estate
  • Corporate
  • Taxation
  • Contracts
  • Significant Representations
  • Represented developers in selling more than 200 clubs to the members by converting the club to an equity club that owns and operates the club facilities.
  • Created club membership programs that have enabled developers to recoup their investment in recreational facilities in conjunction with real estate and club membership sales.
  • Designed and created club membership programs that are an integral part of private residence clubs.
  • Obtained significant rulings and Technical Advice Memoranda from the Internal Revenue Service indicating that certain types of membership deposits paid by members to acquire a club membership are nontaxable loans and are not subject to interest imputation requirements.
  • Obtained no action letters from the Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities agencies indicating that club membership programs do not require a securities registration.
  • Part 2
  • Represented owners and developers with regard to hotel franchise and management agreements.
  • Represented lenders in the securitization of loans regarding club membership programs.
  • Created a database, including market research, regarding more than 4,000 clubs and golf courses that are used for recommending amenity strategies and designing club membership programs.
  • Developed long-term business strategies for developers, resort owners and companies in the golf and club industry.
  • Club marketing group developed marketing plans for clubs, and conducted training sessions to instruct cub sales personnel in implementing sales and marketing strategies.

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