Best Lawyers Near You in Miami Beach, Florida for Land Use and Zoning Law
Matthew Amster is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Matthew, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kerri L. Barsh represents public and private clients on an array of environmental regulatory, permitting and litigation matters, including transactional support and due diligence, environmental assessment and liability matters, energy and infrastructure projects, wetlands and coastal permitting, complex land use projects, air quality matters, hazardous materials contamination, and other compliance and enforcement cases.
Tracy H. Lautenschlager is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Tracy H., who practices law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tracy H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael Larkin is a leading land use and zoning attorney in Miami-Dade County, widely recognized for his deep expertise in Miami Beach and his role in shaping some of the community’s most high-profile and design-sensitive projects. He regularly represents developers, property owners, and institutional clients before the City of Miami Beach’s City Commission, Historic Preservation Board, Design Review Board, Planning Board, and Board of Adjustment, where his command of process, pre...
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 ...
Hugo P. Arza is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Hugo P., 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 Hugo P. 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...
William “Bill” R. Scherer cofounded the firm in 1974 with his late partner Rex Conrad. Over the past five decades, Mr. Scherer has grown Conrad & Scherer into one of Florida’s leading law firms and has expanded the firm’s presence with offices in New York, New York, Brevard, North Carolina, and Quito, Ecuador. AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® since 1987, Mr. Scherer is a seasoned trial attorney. He has litigated over 100 trials in bot...
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 ...
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.
Jorge L. 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 L., 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 L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael (Mickey) has been practicing land use and governmental law for more than two decades. His law practice is focused primarily on representing clients throughout South Florida in all areas of development approvals including zoning, land use, due diligence and permitting. Additionally, Mickey has helped clients with a myriad of code enforcement and compliance issues. In particular, he has recently been involved with major projects in the City of Miami Beach and the City of Aventura. He is...
Nectaria Chakas is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Nectaria, who practices law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nectaria is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ryan D. Bailine is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Ryan D., who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ryan D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Partner Tom Robertson is deeply experienced in many facets of land use and environmental litigation, having served as an attorney with the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s office for 30 years. While there, he practiced in the areas of Environmental Law, Zoning, Real Estate Finance and Liens, Personal Injury, Contracts, and general governmental law. In each of these areas, he was active in litigation including many jury and non-jury trials. He was the general counsel to the Solid Waste Depar...
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...
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.