Associate 4-6+ years Land Use, Zoning, Development - Real Estate

City of Plant City; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Bonus opportunities

Comprehensive benefits

Professional development

Partnership advancement

Job summary

Gunster’s Land Use practice seeks a highly motivated Associate Attorney with substantial experience in complex land use, zoning, permitting, and development matters. You will play a significant role in entitlement processes, advise clients through planning, approvals, due diligence, and related proceedings, and interact with government officials.

This position offers growth within Florida’s premier real estate practice. The role requires a J.D.

Qualifications

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school with admission to the Florida bar.
• 4 to 6+ years of experience in sophisticated land use, zoning, real estate development, municipal law, or related practice areas.
• Demonstrated experience managing entitlement and development matters from inception through governmental approval.
• Strong legal research, writing, drafting, and analytical skills.
• Excellent oral advocacy and presentation abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills and client-service orientation.

Responsibilities

• Represent developers, landowners, and investors in land use, zoning, and environmental entitlement matters in Miami-Dade County and surrounding municipalities.
• Advise clients regarding comprehensive plan amendments, rezonings, special exceptions, variances, conditional use approvals, site plan approvals, subdivision approvals, and development agreements.
• Appear before local government boards, planning and zoning commissions, city and county commissions, administrative agencies, and quasi-judicial bodies.
• Prepare and negotiate development orders, development agreements, restrictive covenants, easements, and related land use documentation.
• Conduct legal due diligence related to land acquisition, entitlement risk, and project feasibility.
• Counsel clients regarding growth management laws, environmental regulations, concurrency requirements, transportation issues, and permitting matters.
• Draft legal opinions, memoranda, applications, draft ordinances, draft resolutions, and administrative appeals.
• Collaborate with transactional real estate, environmental, governmental affairs, and litigation practice groups.
• Participate in client development initiatives, industry organizations, and business development activities.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Client service

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

Admission and good standing in Florida

Job description

Position Summary

Gunster’s Land Use practice seeks a highly motivated and accomplished Associate Attorney with substantial experience representing real estate developers, landowners, institutional investors, and commercial property owners in complex land use, zoning, permitting, and development matters.

The successful candidate will play a significant role in all aspects of the land entitlement and development process, advising clients through project planning, governmental approvals, regulatory compliance, due diligence, and related litigation or administrative proceedings. This position offers substantial client contact, direct interaction with government officials, and meaningful opportunities for professional development within one of Florida’s premier real estate practices.

Key Responsibilities

Represent developers, landowners, and investors in land use, zoning, and environmental entitlement matters in Miami-Dade County and the surrounding municipalities.
Advise clients regarding comprehensive plan amendments, rezonings, special exceptions, variances, conditional use approvals, site plan approvals, subdivision approvals, and development agreements.
Appear before local government boards, planning and zoning commissions, city and county commissions, administrative agencies, and quasi-judicial bodies.
Prepare and negotiate development orders, development agreements, restrictive covenants, easements, and related land use documentation.
Conduct legal due diligence related to land acquisition, entitlement risk, and project feasibility.
Counsel clients regarding growth management laws, environmental regulations, concurrency requirements, transportation issues, and permitting matters.
Draft legal opinions, memoranda, applications, draft ordinances, draft resolutions, and administrative appeals.
Collaborate with members of the firm's transactional real estate, environmental, governmental affairs, and litigation practice groups.
Participate in client development initiatives, industry organizations, and business development activities.

Required

J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
Admission and good standing in Florida.
4 to 6+ years of relevant experience in sophisticated land use, zoning, real estate development, municipal law, or related practice areas.
Demonstrated experience managing entitlement and development matters from inception through governmental approval.
Strong legal research, writing, drafting, and analytical skills.
Excellent oral advocacy and presentation abilities.
Ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal skills and client-service orientation.

Preferred

Experience appearing before local government boards and commissions.
Familiarity with administrative, governmental, or real property litigation.
Experience advising clients on large-scale mixed-use, residential, commercial, industrial, hospitality, or master-planned development projects.
Existing relationships within the development, planning, engineering, or governmental affairs community.
Demonstrated interest in business development and client relationship management.

What We Offer

Sophisticated and high-profile land development matters.
Direct client interaction and meaningful responsibility.
Opportunities to work alongside leading real estate, environmental, and governmental affairs attorneys.
Competitive compensation and bonus opportunities.
Comprehensive benefits package.
Strong platform for professional growth, partnership advancement, and business development.
Ideal Candidate Profile

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a trusted advisor who combines strong technical land use knowledge with practical business judgment. They will be comfortable leading client matters, interacting with elected officials and governmental staff, navigating complex entitlement processes, and helping clients achieve strategic development objectives in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.

Gunster

With more than 325 attorneys in 13 offices across the state, the firm is committed to assisting its associates develop their practices and offers best-in-class professional development opportunities and exceptional benefits plans to all of its attorneys. Gunster is ranked among the Top 15 law firms in the U.S. by Vault and has been ranked as one of Florida's Best Employers to Work For in each of the last ten years.

Gunster is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.