See the Latest Editions in Latin America Today!

Best Lawyers logo
  • Lawyers
  • Methodology
  • Client Solutions
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In
  • Lawyers
    • Advanced Search
    • Lawyer of the Year
    • Highlighted Lawyers
    • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Methodology
    • Overview
    • Ones to Watch
    • Editorial Timelines
    • Practice Areas
    • Publicizing Guidelines
    • FAQ
  • Publications
    • Business Edition
    • Regional Editions
    • Partnerships
    • Become a Contributor
  • Legal Insights
    • Featured Articles
    • In the News
    • Advisory Board
    • Meet the Board
    • Press & Events
  • About
    • Global Presence
    • Company History
    • Leadership
  • Client Solutions
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In Log In
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In

Lawyer Profile

Image of Silvia M. Alderman

Silvia M. Alderman

Akerman LLP
  • Recognized Since:
    2009
  • Recognized in:
    Environmental Law
    Litigation - Environmental
  • Website:
    http://www.akerman.com
  • E-mail:
    silvia.alderman@akerman.com
  • Location:
    106 East College Avenue, 12th Floor
    Tallahassee, FL 32301

A former deputy general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (now DEP), Silvia Alderman is the chair of Akerman’s Water Task Force, a team of multidisciplinary legal professionals and consultants advising on the regulatory and environmental challenges facing our clients. Recognized by Chambers USA, Silvia is praised for her “wealth of knowledge representing utilities” as well as being “very strong on administrative law.”

Silvia represents regulated interests such as developers, agricultural businesses, industrial companies, and governmental entities in environmental and land use law. She has served as state-wide wetlands and threatened and endangered species counsel for a Fortune 10 company, and is known for her work with water resources and wastewater regulation.

With extensive experience on environmental and land use matters, Silvia works on environmental permitting and enforcement negotiation and litigation, contracts, land development, state land leasing and easements, and growth management. She has local government comprehensive planning experience, having served as counsel for the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission for 14 years. Silvia also represents clients in connection with numerous developments of regional impact (DRIs) and with comprehensive plan amendment litigation. She is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice.

  • Lawyer Bio
  • Client Comments
  • Firm Details
  • Case History

Lawyer Bio

A former deputy general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (now DEP), Silvia Alderman is the chair of Akerman’s Water Task Force, a team of multidisciplinary legal professionals and consultants advising on the regulatory and environmental challenges facing our clients. Recognized by Chambers USA, Silvia is praised for her “wealth of knowledge representing utilities” as well as being “very strong on administrative law.”

Silvia represents regulated interests such as developers, agricultural businesses, industrial companies, and governmental entities in environmental and land use law. She has served as state-wide wetlands and threatened and endangered species counsel for a Fortune 10 company, and is known for her work with water resources and wastewater regulation.

With extensive experience on environmental and land use matters, Silvia works on environmental permitting and enforcement negotiation and litigation, contracts, land development, state land leasing and easements, and growth management. She has local government comprehensive planning experience, having served as counsel for the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission for 14 years. Silvia also represents clients in connection with numerous developments of regional impact (DRIs) and with comprehensive plan amendment litigation. She is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice.

Read more on firm website
  • Education
  • Bar & Court Admissions
  • Affiliations
  • Award List
  • Additional Information
  • Lawyer of the Year Badge

Education:

  • Chadron State College, BS, graduated 1973

Bar Admissions:

  • Florida, The Florida Bar
  • Florida, 1977
 

Court Admissions:

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Affiliations:

  • American Bar Association - Section on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, Member, Executive Council, 1993-1995
  • Governor Lawton Chiles' Environmental Transition Task Force - Past Member, 1990-1991
  • Natural Resources Committee, Florida Chamber of Commerce - Member
  • Regulatory Team of the Central Florida Water Initiative - Member, 2014
  • St. Thomas More Catholic Church - Pastoral Council Member
  • The Florida Bar - State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice Board Certification Grade Review Panel, Member, 2011; Second Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, Member, 2011; Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, Florida Northern District, Member; Environmen

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for:

  • Litigation - Environmental, Tallahassee (2015)
 

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation - Environmental
 

Awards:

  • Distinguished Alumna - Chadron State College
  • Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated
  • Real Estate Florida 2009, Recognized as "Woman of Influence"
  • Florida Trend's Legal Elite 2009, 2013, 2015-2016 Listed for Environment & Land Use
  • Super Lawyers Magazine 2009, 2010, Listed in Florida as one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers"
  • Super Lawyers Magazine 2006-2010, 2013-2016, Listed in Florida for Environmental and Land Use/Zoning
  • Chambers USA 2009-2016, Ranked in Florida for Environment
  • Board Certified in State & Federal Government and Administrative Practice, The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education

Additional Information:

Representative Experience
  • Representing agricultural client in defense against third party challenge to environmental permit.
  • Serving as state-wide wetlands and threatened and endangered species counsel for a Top 10 Fortune company.
  • Representing a natural gas client in regulatory actions involving an 80-mile natural gas pipeline easement and related permits, crossing more than 50 wetlands and a national forest.
  • Serving as agent for processing of water use permits for agricultural client covering 178,000 acres of irrigation.
  • Representing publicly-owned treatment works in environmental regulatory issues involving state and federal agencies.
  • Representing farmers with state and federal regulatory issues involving water quality discharges, water use and flood control at the State and Federal levels.
  • Representing a regional water supply entity in multi-district, multi-county litigation involving water use.
  • Representing cogeneration facilities in construction and Title V operation permits, including application and post permit communications with DEP pertaining to BACT.
  • Representing an international client with construction and operation permits (air and water pollution) for a ship unloading system and cement silo, including defense against third party objections in administrative proceedings and circuit court and appeals thereof.
  • Representing a client in proceedings concerning sitings of microwave towers.
  • Representing an auto parts manufacturer in regulatory actions involving VOC issues.
  • Participating in Environmental Impact Statement and NEPA proceedings and litigation involving Everglades National Park and the United States Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of affected parties.
  • Representing clients in construction and operation permits issues for major industrial wastewater facilities.
  • Assisting clients with hazardous waste self-audit, permitting, and litigation involving industrial, agricultural, and business interests.
  • Preparing the legal technical memorandum for the Monroe County Wastewater Master Plan for the Florida Keys.
  • Representing a county in solid waste permitting and enforcement issues.
Published Work and Lectures
  • Silvia has lectured and written extensively on environmental law issues and was Adjunct Professor of Florida Environmental and Land Use Law at Florida State University College of Law. Below is a sampling:
  • Environmental Permitting Update, Annual Environmental Permitting Short-Courses, Author and Lecturer, Florida Chamber of Commerce
  • Florida Water Quality Standards and Classifications, Environmental and Land Use Law Section, The Florida Bar
  • American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 40th Annual Joint Meeting Florida and Louisiana Divisions, Speaker, "Obama's EPA: Close Encounters with the Politics of Change"
  • Contributing Author, Florida Chamber of Commerce Environmental Network
  • Toxic Torts Practice Guide - Second Edition (Coauthor, Chapter 27 and Supplements), Shepards/McGraw-Hill
  • An Outline For a Course in Florida Environmental and Land Use Law, Florida State University
  • Environmental Permitting and Growth Management Handbook (Co-Author), The Florida Chamber of Commerce
  • Is This the Year for FPDES?, The Florida Specifier
  • The Warren S. Henderson Wetlands Protection Act of 1984: A Primer (Coauthored with Mary Smallwood and Martin R. Dix), Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, Florida State University
  • State of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation Enforcement Manual (Co-Author and Editor), Florida Department of Environmental Regulation
  • Case Notes Reporter, Environmental and Land Use Law Section Newsletter
  • Phosphate, Dredge and Fill and the Constitutionality of Chapter 403: The Occidental Cases, Fla. Bar Journal
  • Case Digest of Administrative and Judicial Decisions, (Contributor, First Editor), Florida Department of Environmental Regulation
  • Scientific Analysis in Environmental Regulation, National Association of Environmental Law Societies Conference, Florida State University College of Law
  • How to Complete and Process a Permit Application, Florida Chamber Short Course
  • Chaired Presentation, Native Americans: Regulating Gambling and Protecting the Environment - Continued Conflicts and Emerging Issues, Section on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice of the American Bar Association, Santa Fe, New Mexico
 

Lawyer Client Comments

Firm Details

Image for Akerman LLP View Firm Profile
Akerman LLP
http://www.akerman.com
 
Headquarters
420 South Orange Avenue, Suite 1200
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 423.4000
23 Office Locations
in 1 Country

United States

United States

California

California

Los Angeles, CA

601 West Fifth Street, Suite 300

Los Angeles, CA 90071

United States

(213) 688.9500

Get Directions

Colorado

Colorado

Denver, CO

1900 Sixteenth Street, Suite 1700

Denver, CO 80202

United States

(303) 260.7712

Get Directions

District of Columbia

District of Columbia

Washington, DC

750 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 750

Washington, DC 20001

United States

(202) 393.6222

Get Directions

Florida

Florida

Boca Raton, FL

1875 Northwest Corporate Boulevard, Suite 275

Boca Raton, FL 33431

United States

(561) 862.4000

Get Directions

Fort Lauderdale, FL

350 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 1600

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

United States

(954) 463.2700

Get Directions

Jacksonville, FL

50 North Laura Street, Suite 3100

Jacksonville, FL 32202

United States

(904) 798.3700

Get Directions

Miami, FL

Three Brickell City Centre, Suite 1100

98 Southeast Seventh Street

Miami, FL 33131

United States

(305) 374.5600

Get Directions

Naples, FL

9128 Strada Place, Suite 10205

Naples, FL 34108

United States

(239) 449.5600

Get Directions

Tallahassee, FL

106 East College Avenue, 12th Floor

Tallahassee, FL 32301

United States

(850) 224.9634

Get Directions

Tampa, FL

401 East Jackson Street, Suite 1700

Tampa, FL 33602

United States

(813) 223.7333

Get Directions

West Palm Beach, FL

West Tower, Suite 1100

777 South Flager Drive

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

United States

(561) 653.5000

Get Directions

Georgia

Georgia

Atlanta, GA

999 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 540

Atlanta, GA 30309

United States

(404) 733.9800

Get Directions

Illinois

Illinois

Chicago, IL

71 South Wacker Drive, 47th Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

United States

(312) 634.5700

Get Directions

Louisiana

Louisiana

New Orleans, LA

909 Poydras Street, Suite 2000

New Orleans, LA 70112

United States

(504) 586.1241

Get Directions

Nevada

Nevada

Las Vegas, NV

1635 Village Center Circle, Suite 200

Las Vegas, NV 89134

United States

(702) 634.5000

Get Directions

New York

New York

New York, NY

666 Fifth Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, NY 10103

United States

(212) 880.3800

Get Directions

Texas

Texas

Austin, TX

500 West Second Street, Suite 1900

Austin, TX 78701

United States

(737) 999.7100

Get Directions

Dallas, TX

2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 3600

Dallas, TX 75201

United States

(214) 720.4300

Get Directions

Houston, TX

1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2500

Houston, TX 77056

United States

(713) 623.0887

Get Directions

San Antonio, TX

112 East Pecan Street, Suite 2750

San Antonio, TX 78205

United States

(210) 582.0220

Get Directions

Utah

Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

170 South Main Street, Suite 725

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

United States

(801) 907.6900

Get Directions

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Madison, WI

One South Pinckney Street, Suite 700

Madison, WI 53703

United States

(608) 257.5335

Get Directions

Lawyer Case History

Florida Audubon Society v. Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, et al

Represented client in connection with permitting, administrative hearing and appellate case involving third party challenge to works of the district permits for thousands of acres of farmlands in the Everglades Agricultural Area.

STA1-W Permit Transactions

Represented large farm entity in modification/transfer of 28 permits in connection with major Everglades stormwater treatment area expansion

Central Florida Water Initiative

Represent utility interests on the Regulatory Team of the Central Florida Water Initiative
 
Add Comment
In making your comments, please do not refer to a pending legal matter.
(*) Required Fields
There was an error during saving, please try again.
If you continue to get this message, please contact us at info@bestlawyers.com or 803.648.0300 for assistance.
Please complete the captcha then submit.
Your comment was saved successfully!
Thank you for your feedback.
  • Client Solutions
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Legal Insights
  • Contact Us
Lawyers 
  • Lawyers of the Year
  • Highlighted Lawyers
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Find a Lawyer
Methodology
  • Overview
  • Ones to Watch
  • Editorial Timelines
  • Practice Areas
  • Publicizing Guidelines
  • FAQ
Publications
  • Business Editions
  • Regional Editions
  • Partnerships
  • Become a Contributor
Legal Insights
  • Featured Articles
  • In the News
  • Advisory Board
  • Meet the Board
  • Press & Events
  • Best Law Firms
  • Subscribe
About
  • Global Presence
  • Founders
  • Company History
  • Leadership
  • Press Releases
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
Client Solutions
  • Specialized Research
  • Marketing Guidance
  • Log In
  • Store
Best Lawyers Best Lawyers logo +1-803-648-0300
801 Broad Street, Suite 950 Augusta, GA 30901
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Lawyer Directory
  • Best Law Firms

© 2010-2019 Best Lawyers — All Rights Reserved.

BL Icon

LEGAL INSIGHTS

by Best Lawyers®



Get the latest insights on the news, trends, and people that shape the global legal field with our weekly email digest.

Please enter a valid email address.

You have already subscribed.





PRIVACY POLICY

Thank you for subscribing.