Overview
Very thorough, very strategic and very well connected.
- Chambers USA 2017
Ronald Weaver has extensive experience in advising landowners, development companies and occasionally local governments in environmental, land use and property rights law and real estate acquisition and financing. He has conducted land use, environmental, zoning, Developments of Regional Impact (DRI), comprehensive plan, and concurrency due diligence for the acquisition and development of over $6 billion worth of Florida property in 32 different counties and 62 cities, including a $600 million due diligence of 12 properties for one acquisition/financing, and a dozen others over $100 million throughout Florida.
Ronald speaks regularly on land use issues and has written over 200 articles in national, local and regional publications, law journals and newsletters. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal on growth management, concurrency, property rights and takings cases. Ronald has published commentaries and articles in NAIOP's Development magazine and the Urban Land Institute's Urban Land magazine.
Representative Experience
- Environmental work on Florida’s only major petroleum pipeline through Big Cypress and Everglades National Parks.
- Land Use and Environmental Counsel for five 2,500 to 13,000 acre new Florida mixed use communities and dozens of 500+ acre communities.
- Rezoning for 1,500 units in downtown Tampa including mixed use with environmental and regulatory and permitting follow-up.
- Rezoning for 13 downtown Tampa and six Westshore highrise/midrise office buildings and 8 apartment projects, 12 hotels, and 5 office parks.
- Representation of over 100 Florida developers, 80 landowners and 20 banks regarding entitlements and due diligence issues under Florida land use and environmental law.
- Land use or environmental Counsel for acquisition or sale of 65 hotels over 25 years.
- Hundreds of permitting and zoning cases, 28 Developments of Regional Impact and 68 Comprehensive Plan amendments, 200 major transportation analyses, advocacies, or settlements for major resorts, office buildings, general retail and eight regional malls, and several dozen mixed use communities.
- Due diligence for over 45 affordable housing projects.
- Environmental audits and compliance issues for over 400 Florida properties ranging from service stations and regional malls, to 1,000+ acre developments, and development communities.
- Representation of Florida, California and Nevada developers and governments and Chambers of Commerce on concurrency, property rights and National Environmental Policy Act projects, including a $1.3 billion roadway, a $56 million people mover, city redevelopment and downtown plans and all aspects of City and County Comprehensive Plans, concurrency, proportionate fair share and property rights, new Florida SB 360 Community Renewal Act, and Bert Harris Private Property Rights Act claims.
- Co-counsel for plaintiffs in major construction law litigation.
Professional & Community Involvement
- American Heart Association, Local Chapter, Former Chair
- 2011 NAIOP President’s Award for Real Estate Lives - Assisting Real Estate Professionals Back to Work, 2008-2012
- Baycare Health System Board of Trustees, Finance Committee Chair
- The Children's Home, Board of Trustees
- First Baptist Church of Tampa, Board of Deacons, Chair
- Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee
- Junior Achievement, Board of Directors, Former Member
- National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Tampa Bay Chapter
- Vice President, Public Affairs
- Former Chair, Public Affairs Committee
- St. Joseph's-Baptist Hospital
- Executive Committee
- Former Chair, Long-Range Planning Committee
- Former Chair, Finance Committee
- University of South Florida Business School, Board of Advisors Former Member
- University of Tampa, Board of Fellows, Former Member and Program Chair
- Urban Land Institute (ULI)
- REIC – Real Estate Investment Council, Inc.
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2007-2020
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business: Top Ranked in Real Estate and Zoning/Land Use, 2005-2019
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2019
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Tampa Litigation - Land Use and Zoning Lawyer of the Year, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Tampa Land Use & Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year, 2014 & 2019
- Florida Trend's Florida 500, 2018
- Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite, 2005-2009 and 2011
- Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, 2009
- Tampa Bay Real Estate Hall of Fame, inducted, 1996
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Publications & Presentations
Publications:
Private Property Rights Protection Legislation: Statutory Claims for Relief from Governmental Regulation
Florida Bar Treatise Florida Environmental and Land Use Law, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012 Editions
Publications:
Florida Real Property Litigation: Statutory Private Property Rights Protection
The Florida Bar, 5th Edition
Publications, Recent News Updates:
Friday Deadline for Hillsborough County's Final Impact Fee Buyback Solicitation
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2019
Events:
Hillsborough Community College: An Oral History
Tampa Bay History Center |March 2019
Events:
Harris Act Recoveries and Florida Legislative Update
CLE International Eminent Domain Conference|November 2018
Events:
9 presentations, Bert Harris Private Property Rights Act
CLE International, 2003-2017
Events:
Regulations and Environmental Issues for Building Professionals
HalfMoon Education, Inc. |April 2017
Events:
Hot Topics in Property Rights
Association of Eminent Domain Professionals|March 2017
Newsroom
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2019
June 2019
Firm Announcements:
21 Stearns Weaver Miller Attorneys, 10 Practice Areas Ranked in Chambers USA 2019
May 2019
In the Media:
They’ve met 475 Tuesdays in a row to help real estate pros rebound from the housing crash
Tampa Bay Times|October 2018
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2018
June 2018
Firm Announcements:
23 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 10 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2018
May 2018
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2017
June 2017
Firm Announcements:
19 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers, 8 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2017
May 2017
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2016
June 2016