Overview
Gigi Rollini is an experienced litigator and Shareholder in our Tallahassee office, and leads the Firm’s Government and Administrative Practice Group. Her practice encompasses administrative and civil litigation and appeals, and all aspects of Florida administrative law, including regulatory compliance, licensure, administrative complaints and disciplinary proceedings, government contracts, procurement and bid protests, rulemaking and rule challenges, state and local taxation, election compliance and litigation, and non-profit and trade association formation, compliance and management.
Gigi has been named one of Florida's "Top 50 Women Lawyers" by Super Lawyers magazine, an "Extraordinary Woman" by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), the Panhandle's "Woman of Distinction" in Law by the Girl Scout Council, and one of Tallahassee's "25 Women to Know" by the Tallahassee Democrat. She has earned Martindale's highest AV-Preeminent Peer Rating in appellate, administrative and civil litigation, and is regularly recognized by Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Trend magazines in appellate and administrative law. She serves on The Florida Bar's Administrative Law Section Executive Council, and is a past chair of the Appellate Court Rules Committee's administrative and civil appeals committees.
Gigi serves as an Executive Officer of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), after serving many years as Florida's delegate to NAWL and on the board as a member-at-large. Gigi previously served as president of the Tallahassee Women Lawyers, and as president of FAWL—only the fifth woman from Tallahassee to serve in that capacity since FAWL’s inception in 1951.
Prior to entering private practice, Gigi was senior judicial clerk to Judge Robert T. Benton II at Florida's First District Court of Appeal. While in law school, Gigi received a Florida Bar Foundation Public Service Fellowship to work in the Office of the State Attorney (2nd Jud. Circuit), focused on felony cases involving children and women victims. Gigi was a judicial intern for The Honorable Robert L. Hinkle at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Prior to law school, Gigi was a legislative aide in the Florida House of Representatives.
Representative Experience
Florida Licensure, Administrative Complaints, & Disciplinary Proceedings
- Represents licensees, regulated entities and interested parties before regulatory agencies and their professional boards, the Division of Administrative Hearings, and in Florida’s circuit and appellate courts to obtain licensure and ensure compliance.
- Advises and represents clients in compliance, disciplinary and appellate matters involving Florida’s agencies and professional boards, including Florida Department of Health, Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and Florida’s Boards including Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Accountancy, Architecture and Professional Engineers, as well as national examination and professional boards.
- Serves on The Florida Bar’s Administrative Law Section Executive Council, and is a past chair of The Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee’s administrative and civic appeals committees.
- Frequent speaker on licensure and regulatory issues, and developed The Florida Bar’s Basic Administrative Law segment on professional licensure in Florida.
Rulemaking, Rule Variances/Waivers, and Rule Challenges
- Advises and represents licensees and regulated entities in the agency rulemaking process, including attend public hearings, offer public comment, and draft/redline rules.
- Represents licensees and regulated entities in seeking variances and waivers from rules.
- Represents regulated entities in challenges of proposed and existing agency rules in DOAH and on appeal, including in cases of statewide import.
Regulatory Compliance and Association Creation and Management
- Routinely advises regulated entities and licensees in Florida regulatory compliance matters.
- Creates, manages and represents trade and professional associations in the rulemaking process and in rule challenges.
- Created, manages and represents the Florida Association for Constitutional Officers in Florida agency forums and Florida courts.
- Assists trade associations and non-profits to secure tax-exempt status.
Government Contracts, Procurement and Bid Protests
- Advises and represents vendors in Florida state procurement and government contract matters, from the issuance of a solicitation to an award, and through bid protest litigation and appeal.
- Advises and represents vendors in local government procurement and contract matters, from the issuance of a solicitation to an award, and through bid protest litigation and appeal.
- Represents government offices and boards in their procurement matters, from general advising and the issuance of a solicitation, through to defending in litigation an award or rejection of all bids.
- Represents government offices and boards in their procurement-related rulemaking.
Constitutional & Election Law
- Serves as General Counsel to the Florida Association for Constitutional Officers.
- Represents county constitutional officers and public officials in election law and charter amendment suits.
- Represents campaigns and candidates for public office in compliance and election-related litigation.
- Represents organizations and public bodies in compliance and election-related litigation.
- Represents amicus parties in all five of Florida's District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
- Represented a sitting U.S. President in the United States Supreme Court to defend against a petition for writ of mandamus in an election-related suit.
- Defended contested amendment to the Florida Constitution from circuit court to the Florida Supreme Court, helping to preserve the measure for the general election ballot.
- Represented constitutional officer in circuit court, the Fifth District Court of Appeal, and Florida Supreme Court to strike a county charter amendment changing the method of election for county constitutional officers in case of first impression and statewide impact.
- Represented statewide association in litigation to strike attempted charter amendment abolishing certain constitutional officers.
State & Local Taxation
- Advises and represents clients in Florida Department of Revenue state tax audits.
- Represents clients in Florida Department of Revenue tax audit protests, litigation and appeals.
Judicial Clerkships
- Senior Law Clerk, Honorable Robert T. Benton II, Florida's 1st District Court of Appeal
- Judicial Intern, Honorable Robert L. Hinkle, United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Professional & Community Involvement
- The Florida Bar
- Administrative Law Section, Executive Council Member, 2016-present
- Appellate Court Rules Committee, 2012-2018
- Administrative Law Practice Subcommittee, Chair, 2014-2015
- Civil Practice Subcommittee, Chair & Vice-Chair, 2015-2017
- Appellate Practice & Advocacy Section, 2003-Present
- Administrative Law Section, 2003-Present
- National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)
- Executive Officer, 2020-Present
- Board of Directors, At-Large, 2018-2020
- Florida’s Delegate to NAWL, 2011-2018
- Amicus Committee, 2012-Present
- Midyear Meeting Chair, 2017-2018
- Membership Committee, 2016-Present
- Sustaining Sponsor Committee, 2017-2018
- Path To Equity Partnership Committee, 2015-2017
- Tallahassee Professional Women’s Exchange Network, Founder & Chair, 2009-Present
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), President, 2010-2011
- Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL), President, 2009-2010
- First District Appellate American Inn of Court, Barrister, 2012-2015; Alumna, 2015-Present
- Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Pro Bono Awards Advisory Committee, 2010-2011
- Florida State University College of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2008-2010
- William H. Stafford Inn of Court, Barrister, 2007-2009
- America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend, 2014-2019
- Board of Directors
- President & Executive Board
- Development Chair
- Legislative Chair
- Feeding Hope Society Founding Member & Chair, 2018-Present
- Club 25 Tallahassee Democrat’s “25 Women You Need to Know”
- Board of Directors, 2014-Present
- Nominating Committee Chair, 2017
- Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle
- Women of Distinction Gala, Honorary Chair, 2016
- Lifetime Member
- Legislative Aide, Florida House of Representatives, Districts 88/89, 1998-1999
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2022
- Honoree, Tallahassee Community College (TCC) Women's History Month Celebration, 2020
- Top Rated Litigator, Corporate Counsel, The American Lawyer, ALM, 2020
- Woman Leader in the Law, Corporate Counsel, The American Lawyer, ALM, 2020
- Top Rated Lawyers in Appellate Law, Corporate Counsel, The American Lawyer, ALM, 2020
- Women to Watch, Tallahassee Woman Magazine, 2020
- AV® Preeminent™ Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2013-2021
- Top 50 Women Lawyers in Florida, 2016-2017
- Rising Star 2010-2012
- Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite, 2015-2017, 2019-2020; Up & Comer, 2010-2011
- ALM/Daily Business Review, Top Rated Lawyer, 2014-2018
- Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle, “Woman of Distinction” in Law, 2015
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Florida “Extraordinary Woman,” 2015
- The Miami Herald, Top Lawyers of Florida, 2015
- American Society of Legal Advocates, Florida’s Top 40 Litigators Under 40, 2013-2014
- Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know, 2014
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Leader in the Law Award, 2012 Class
- The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, Lynn Futch Most Productive Young Lawyer in Florida, 2010
- Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Mattie Belle Davis Society
Publications & Presentations
Events:
The Mystery Gift: Constitutional Rulemaking and the APA
Administrative Law Section of the Florida Bar’s Pat Dore Conference|October 2021
Events:
Administrative Law Appellate Case Law Update
Department of Financial Services Lunch and Learn|August 2021
Events:
Appellate Case Law Update (Part III of the Series)
Florida Bar's Administrative Law Updates Webinar Series|June 2021
Publications:
Appellate Case Notes
Administrative Law Section of The Florida Bar Newsletter|June 2021
Government & Administrative News Update, Publications:
Agencies Continue to Adjust to The New Normal
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update |April 2021
COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications:
COVID Legal Compass | Edition 25
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|March 2021
Events:
Licensure – Disciplinary Proceedings/Compliance
The Florida Bar Basic Administrative Law 2021 Program|March 2021
COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications:
COVID Legal Compass | Edition 24
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update |January 2021
Newsroom
In the Media:
TLH Briefcase: Aug. 29, 2021
Tallahassee Democrat|August 2021
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in 2021 Florida Super Lawyers
June 2021
In the Media:
Fall 2020 Newsletter - Alumni Spotlight: Gigi Rollini
FSU Askew School of Public Administration & Policy|September 2020
Firm Announcements:
Gigi Rollini Elected to National Women Lawyers Executive Committee
July 2020
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller honored with 2020 Tallahassee Women Lawyers Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award
June 2020
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in 2020 Florida Super Lawyers
June 2020
In the Media:
Business People, March 2
The Ledger|March 2020
Firm Announcements:
Gigi Rollini Selected as 2020 Honoree for Tallahassee Community College Women’s History Month Celebration
February 2020