Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, is proud to announce that on April 29th, shareholders Daniel M. Mackler, Danielle DeVito-Hurley and Rick Burgess were named Top Dealmakers of the Year by the Daily Business Review (DBR) in the land deals category. The Gunster team was one of 14 winners announced at a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami.
All three attorneys were recognized for negotiating and closing one of the most significant land acquisitions by the State of Florida to date. Gunster represented the United States Sugar Corporation, one of the largest producers and refiners of sugar cane and citrus in the United States, which transferred ownership of the agricultural land to the South Florida Water Management District for $197,398,372.08. This landmark sale took nearly three years to negotiate and close; it involved extensive negotiations, environmental analysis, contract preparation, and title review.
“It is an honor for our team to be recognized as one of the Top Dealmakers of the Year,” said Dan Mackler, head of Gunster’s Real Estate Practice. “This was a complex deal which involved multiple practice areas and extensive negotiations.”
The nominations were judged exclusively by the Daily Business Review editors based on rigorous criteria. Factors evaluated include the complexity and size of the deal and how instrumental the nominees were in making the deal happen — including how they overcame obstacles. Creativity was also considered, such as achieving the best results for their clients, as well as the nominees’ track record.
