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 ULI'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 high-rise/mid-rise 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
- The Florida Bar, Public Interest Law Committee, Founding Chairman, 1978
- The American Bar Association
- Banking Law Committee, Real Estate Finance Subcommittee, Chairman, 1984-1986
- International Real Estate Finance Forum & British Barristers Society in London, Chairman, 1985
- Baycare Health System Board of Trustees, Past Chairman of Finance Committee
- The Children's Home, Past Board of Trustees
- First Baptist Church of Tampa, Past Chairman of Deacons
- Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee
- Junior Achievement, Past Board of Directors, Former Member
- National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Florida Chapter, Co-Founder
- National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), 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
- Chambers USA, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (North & Central Florida), Senior Statespeople, 2005-2022
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2007-2023
- Tampa Land Use & Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year, 2014 & 2019
- Tampa Litigation - Land Use and Zoning Lawyer of the Year, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2022
- Luminary Award, Junior League of Tampa, 2020
- Breezin’ Magazine “The New Tampa Bay” Half-Century Professional Award, 2019
- Florida Trend's Florida 500, 2018
- 2011 NAIOP President's Award for Real Estate Lives- Assisting Real Estate Professionals Back to Work, 2008-2012
- 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
Events:
Ethics in Modern Practice
Florida Eminent Domain Conference|October 2022
Events:
The Luminaries - Documentary premiere featuring Ron Weaver
Junior League of Tampa's Facebook Live Stream|May 2021
Land Development News Update, Publications:
What's Developing | Summer 2020
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2020
Land Development News Update, Publications:
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
Newsroom
Firm Announcements:
28 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 12 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2022
June 2022
In the Media:
Let the good times roll: Tampa leaders bullish on the Bay
Capital Analytics Associates|January 2022
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in 2021 Florida Super Lawyers
June 2021
Firm Announcements:
29 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 12 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2021
May 2021
In the Media:
What could happen to the $470M of transportation taxes collected so far
Tampa Bay Business Journal|February 2021
Firm Announcements:
Ronald L. Weaver Honored with Junior League of Tampa Luminary Award
July 2020
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers Recognized in 2020 Florida Super Lawyers
June 2020
In the Media:
Out of the bubble
Florida Trend|April 2020