Glenn Burhans, Jr.

Notable Experience

Complex Commercial & Class Action Litigation

• Lead trial counsel for major cannabis company in defense of a class action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of global petroleum marketer in defense of an action challenging resolution of underground storage tank claims; defended case through final appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, which affirmed the judgment below.
• Obtained summary judgment on issue of first impression construing insurance coverage of actual charges for protective and supportive cancer treatments; defended case through final appeal to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which affirmed the judgment below.
• Defended global integrated energy corporation in multiple class actions for property damages and medical monitoring arising from alleged exposure to contaminated groundwater.
• Represented internet-based gold and jewelry buyer in defense of nationwide consumer class action alleging deceptive and unfair trade practices; class certification was denied.

Administrative Law, Governmental Litigation & Investigations

• Represented leading sports broadcast network and streaming service in novel action brought by the Florida Attorney General seeking access to the network’s trade secret agreements under the Florida Public Records Act.
• Co-lead trial counsel for Florida’s largest County-created expressway authority in opposing actions to abolish the authority and transfer all of its $4 billion in assets to a legislatively created agency, including a quiet title action. Obtained summary judgment at the trial level and defeated a Petition for Writ of Prohibition at the appellate level. Trial on the authority’s amended complaint is pending.
• Lead trial counsel for Florida gulf coast County in a matter of first impression concerning the public’s right of customary use over more than 1,100 privately owned beachfront properties and spanning 26 miles of coastline. Managed team of a dozen attorneys that conducted nearly 300 depositions in less than four months. After resolving most claims via settlement, led team that secured eight summary judgments establishing public access over the remaining beach areas.
• National counsel for global integrated energy corporation in multiple state investigations and litigation arising from alleged underground petroleum storage tank liabilities.
• Lead outside counsel to Florida state agency responsible for managing docket of nearly 2,000 administrative law matters involving Medicaid fair hearings, including oversight of statewide hearing team of 20 attorneys.
  • Developed and implemented: case management and tracking database; witness training program for agency’s personnel; training program for hearing attorneys; standardized pleadings, discovery documents, evidentiary submissions, and hearing procedures.

Election & Political Activity Law

• General Counsel to Florida gubernatorial campaign.
• General Counsel to Smart & Safe Florida, sponsor of Amendment 3 (2024 general election). Drafted the proposed amendment and ballot language; developed legal strategy and briefing at the Florida Supreme Court; provide campaign compliance advice.
• General Counsel and Chair of political committee sponsor of the All Voters Vote Amendment (2020 general election). Drafted the proposed amendment and ballot language. Successfully defended the ballot language at the Florida Supreme Court. Oversaw multi-million dollar effort that obtained more than 5.8 million votes.
• Represented Florida Governor and Secretary of State in mandamus and quo warranto proceedings before Florida Supreme Court challenging gubernatorial appointments to fill judicial vacancies.
• Represented a national membership organization and other advocacy groups in a voters’ rights challenge to Florida’s “no match, no vote” law.
• Represented congressional candidate in election contests arising from the alleged malfunction of touch-screen voting machines.
  • Served as lead trial counsel in concurrent election contests brought under the Federal Contested Election Act in the United States House of Representatives and under Florida law in state court.
  • Coordinated a multi-county recount effort and interfaced with county and state elections officials concerning post-election parallel testing and software auditing.

Land Use Litigation

• Lead counsel for developer of a 524 acre mixed use parcel in St. Johns County, Florida, involving claims for breach of a Concurrency and Impact Fee Credit Agreement, Section 1983 violation and takings, and defense against counter-claim to specifically perform roadway improvements of nearly $50 million. In a companion suit, after a bench trial, secured final judgment in the developer’s favor finding the County violated the Florida Public Records Act by failing to disclose records relating to the Agreement and County’s conduct relating to its performance under the Agreement.
• Lead trial counsel for developer in a matter of first impression defending a development order issued by Collier County approving development of a 1,000 acres mixed-use “rural village” development within the “Rural Land Stewardship Area” (“RLSA”). The RLSA is an innovative voluntary land management and conservation program consisting of approximately 200,000 acres in eastern Collier County, Florida. Under the program, property owners agree to restrict their development rights on environmentally sensitive land in exchange for credits to develop other less-sensitive parcels such as agricultural land. The developer’s proposed rural village was the first to be approved and established precedent for subsequent development in the RLSA. The matter involved two dozen depositions, more than a dozen hearings, arbitration, a five-day bench trial resulting in a final judgment and nearly $3 million fee and cost award in developer’s favor. After an appeal, which affirmed the final judgment and remanded on a partial summary judgment, the matter resulted in a settlement that created a conservation easement to preserve critical habit over more than 600 acres.
• Lead appellate counsel for international hotelier and resort brand in successfully defending against challenges to the Monroe County Planning Commission’s resolution granting of a major conditional use permit for the re-development of a resort with auxiliary affordable housing projects.
• Lead appellate counsel for developer of an affordable housing project in the Florida Keys; defending against the appeal of the County Planning Commission’s resolution granting a major conditional use permit.

Toxic Tort & Products Liability

• Represented global integrated energy corporation in defense and settlement of an environmental class action and companion medical monitoring suit.
• Defended global integrated energy corporation in toxic tort action for personal and emotional injuries arising from the alleged exposure to contaminated groundwater.

Credentials

Professional & Community Involvement

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tallahassee, Inc., 2011-2019
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors, 2017-2018
• Florida Bar Association, Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, 2006-2013
• New York State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Meritas, Firm Representative
  • Global Cannabis Group, Steering Committee

Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010-Present