Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, today announced the expansion of its Miami office with the addition of two accomplished local government attorneys, Miguel and Elinette Diaz de la Portilla. They join in Gunster’s Environmental and Land Use Law practice, deepening the firm’s expertise in land use and zoning, and government procurement law. Miguel is a shareholder and Elinette is an of counsel attorney.
“With unmatched regulatory experience in local and state government, Miguel and Elinette’s industry-leading reputations stem from their deep knowledge and relentless dedication to securing results for their clients,” said Bill Perry, Gunster’s managing shareholder. “Having served in various levels of government, they bring unique skills that will bolster Gunster’s land use and government procurement practices in Miami and further differentiate our firm as the go-to resource for business owners.”
Miguel, a former state senator and chairman of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, represents major developers and corporations in securing governmental approvals before various municipal and county governments. Most recently, his work obtaining the land use and zoning approval for the largest retail entertainment center in the history of Miami-Dade County, and obtaining a $180 million dollar contract with Miami-Dade County for a multi-national transportation technology company are accomplishments that earned him the distinguished badge of “Top Lawyer” by the South Florida Legal Guide in 2020 and 2021, and “Attorney of the Year” by the Daily Business Review in 2020.
Elinette offers more than 15 years of experience representing a wide range of clients, including builders, developers and landowners. Her experience ranges from zoning approvals to land subdivision, including due diligence reviews, vested rights claims, local comprehensive plan amendments, historic preservation approvals and environmental issues. Previously, she represented clients through the intricate public procurement process doing business with government agencies, including quasi-judicial bid protests.
Miguel earned his J.D. and B.A. from the University of Miami and Elinette holds a J.D. and B.A. from St. Thomas University, Miami. Miguel and Elinette are the latest in a recent string of key lateral hires at Gunster, including government affairs consultant and of counsel attorney in Tallahassee, Sha’Ron James, and business litigation shareholder in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Joe Jacquot.
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