Best Lawyers Near You in Coral Gables, Florida for Land Use and Zoning Law
Melissa Tapanes Llahues is a nationally recognized land use and zoning attorney, strategic advisor, and civic leader shaping the built environment across South Florida. As a shareholder and Chief Executive Officer of Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes, PLLC, she operates at the intersection of law, policy, and urban strategy—guiding complex development projects from vision to entitlement to realization. Melissa represents institutional investors, landowners, and developers in ...
Neisen Kasdin serves as managing partner of Akerman's Miami office. A former mayor of Miami Beach and leader in the revitalization of South Beach, he brings extensive civic experience to his work on urban revitalization and the development of complex, large-scale, multi-use projects. Respected as a leader in urban development, he serves as vice chair of the board of directors for the Miami Downtown Development Authority and was responsible for leading the creation of Miami’s Downtown Ma...
Dennis A. Kerbel is chair of Akerman’s Florida Land Use and Entitlements Practice. Dennis has extensive experience in the full range of local government law issues, with a particular legal concentration in land use law. He focuses his practice on helping clients achieve optimal results from governmental approval processes and, where appropriate, litigation. Dennis has experience in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels. He handles a broad variety of cases, incl...
Graham has a broad range of land use and zoning law experience, particularly in Miami-Dade County, Miami Beach, Opa-locka, North Bay Village, Hollywood, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Hallandale Beach, and Pompano Beach. Additionally, he handles appellate litigation matters before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Appellate Division and the Third District Court of Appeal. His work has been broad, including complex Land Use Plan amendments, Development Agreements, and Development of Regional Im...
Jeffrey Bercow is a founding force behind one of South Florida’s most influential land use and zoning law firms and a central figure in shaping the modern development landscape of Miami-Dade County. With more than 40 years of experience, his work has helped define how and where the region grows—guiding transformative projects, public policy, and the legal frameworks that underpin them. As co-founder of the firm in 1996, Jeff built a practice that has become synonymous with complex...
Ben Hedrick practices in the area of land use and development, representing clients in all aspects of the development approval process in municipalities and unincorporated areas in both Miami-Dade County and Broward County, including in the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Additionally, Ben has experience assisting clients in public-private partnerships and the development and use of public infrastructure such as airports, parking garages, and rail infrastructure.
Jorge Navarro is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Jorge, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jorge is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nicholas Barshel practices in the area of land use and development, representing clients in all aspects of the development approval process including due diligence review, planning and zoning applications, submerged lands issues, dock and marina permits, historic preservation, code compliance, and other aspects of complex land use and zoning matters with federal, state, and local agencies. He has assisted clients in development of major projects across South Florida and beyond, including the ...
Iris Escarrá is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Iris, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Iris is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Spencer Crowley’s practice focuses on large scale land use and environmental permitting matters, including zoning, growth management, urban development, transportation, sovereignty submerged lands, coastal regulation, marina permitting, wetlands, and water resources. He has worked with the Governor’s Commission for a Sustainable South Florida, the South Florida Water Management District, and Duke University’s Wetlands Center in the Florida Everglades. He has assisted clients...
Pedro Gassant is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Pedro, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Pedro is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joseph Goldstein is a Land Use and Environmental lawyer with significant experience in representing developers and private property owners in their efforts to protect their property rights or entitlements and in seeking complex development or other governmental approvals and permits. Mr. Goldstein has particular and extensive experience in obtaining approvals of Developments of Regional Impact (DRI), zoning and comprehensive plan amendments. He is privileged to represent clients who comprise ...
Juan J. Mayol, Jr. is a partner and practices in the firm’s Real Estate Section in the areas of Land Use and Zoning. He represents builders and developers in all aspects of land use law through the entire development process, from zoning approvals to subdivision and building permit issues. In addition, Mr. Mayol handles environmental matters as they relate to the development process. Mr. Mayol holds the highest rating assigned by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Marissa A. Neufeld is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Marissa A., who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marissa A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael has an active land use and zoning practice in Miami-Dade County, with a broad specialization in Miami Beach, where he frequently appears in front of the City Commission, Historic Preservation Board, Design Review Board, the Board of Adjustment, and the Planning Board. Michael also does work in Bay Harbour, Sunny Isles, Key Biscayne, Aventura and Bal Harbour. Additionally, his practice extends to appellate litigation matters before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Appellate Divisi...
Miriam Soler Ramos is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Miriam Soler, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Miriam Soler is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.