James R. Williams Jr.

Overview

James R. Williams Jr. is a Miami real estate attorney who focuses his practice in the areas of governmental advocacy, land use and zoning, and environmental law. He represents international, national and local developers and property owners in securing entitlements and permits for a broad range of developments consisting of, but not limited to, single family and multifamily residential, commercial, office, mixed-use, industrial, religious, educational and medical. He represents clients before all of the counties and many of the municipalities in South Florida such as Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, City of Doral, City of Homestead and City of South Miami. James represents his clients through the entire development process, from due diligence, comprehensive planning and zoning approvals to subdivision and building permit issues. He has extensive experience securing approvals for a wide range of applications, such as Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) amendments, zoning district boundary changes (rezonings), variances, special exceptions and other similar development applications.

As to his environmental practice, James has secured complex environmental approvals relating to water and sewer extensions, wellfield protection areas, septic tanks and sewage treatment package plants before the Miami-Dade County Environmental Quality Control Board. He also has experience working closely with environmental professionals to assist his clients in obtaining incentives under the Brownfields Redevelopment Act.

As part of James's practice, he routinely appears before county and city commissions, local zoning boards, and specialized boards and agencies throughout South Florida. He also works extensively with local governments to draft legislation on behalf of his clients. The types of development projects that James has secured approvals for include low-, mid- and high-rise residential condominium and rental projects, affordable and workforce housing projects, single-family residential communities, retail/commercial shopping centers, large industrial building complexes, hospital/healthcare-related facilities, assisted living facilities/extended care facilities, places of worship, school campuses and public-private partnership projects.

A natural connector, James is dedicated to helping clients build partnerships and identify opportunities. He frequently brokers introductions between developers, lenders, investors, and brokers—often facilitating deals that generate new business for all parties involved. Utilizing a collaborative approach, James works relentlessly to earn strong client loyalty and provide value through his legal acumen and business-minded perspective.

Earlier in his career, James founded his own land use and zoning law firm and worked for several local governments throughout South Florida. He served as interim assistant city attorney for the City of Sunny Isles Beach, as a legal consultant for the City of Miami, and as a consultant for the Miami-Dade County Platting and Traffic Review division. Leveraging that experience and insider’s perspective, he seeks to streamline the process and craft applications that win approval for his clients’ projects.