Overview
Deborah Madden focuses her practice in the area of environmental law. Deborah represents a broad range of clients, including developers, agricultural interests, utilities, mining interests, and public and private companies. Deborah brings extensive experience to providing legal support for client permitting and litigation matters involving water resources, wetlands, water supply, state and federal listed species issues, mitigation banking, state submerged lands and coastal construction. She represents clients in court proceedings and before administrative law judges on a variety of environmental permitting, compliance and regulatory claims issues. Deborah also advises on the environmental issues that permeate mergers and acquisitions and real estate and other business transactions. This includes pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition compliance. She provides legal counsel regarding solid and hazardous waste regulation and real property contamination investigation and cleanup, including the application of risk-based corrective action principles, environmental due diligence, and related considerations associated with the transfer of contaminated properties, brownfield redevelopment and storage tank regulation.
Honors
- Chambers & Partners, “Up and Coming,” Environment, 2021-24
- The Best Lawyers in America®, "Ones to Watch"
- Environmental Law, 2021-25
- Land Use and Zoning Law, 2023-25
- Florida Trend, "Up & Comer," 2019
- Florida Super Lawyers, "Rising Star," 2019-22
- Member of Gunster's environmental law practice ranked "Band 1" by Chambers USA, 2017-20
News & Insights
- "Comprehensive Watershed Management," 36th annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2022
- "Wetland Jurisdiction Methodology: A State and Federal Update (Parts 1 & 2)," 36th annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2022
- "Comprehensive Watershed Management," 33rd annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2019
- "Wetland Jurisdiction Methodology: A State and Federal Update," 33rd annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2019
- "What's Up with WOTUS? A Legal Update on Federal Wetlands Jurisdiction," Florida Section ASABE 2019 Annual Conference, June 2019
- "Florida business community: Water issues to watch in 2019," co-author, Daily Business Review, March 27, 2019
- "What's Up with WOTUS?", Guest Speaker, 22nd Annual Conference on Eminent Domain, November 2018
- "Public-Private Partnerships Can 'Bridge the Gap' to Resource Sustainability," The Florida Bar Journal, Vol. 92, No. 2, February 2018
- "Water quality credit trading," and "Wetland jurisdiction methodology: A state and federal update," Florida Environmental Network's Environmental Permitting Summer School, July 2017
- "Finding Certainty in the New World of Alternative Water Supply Sources," The Florida Bar Journal, co-author, September/October 2016
- "Special Course Series on Water Quality: Water Quality Credit Training," 30th annual Environmental Permitting School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2016
- "Wetlands Permitting and Mitigation: Federal Wetland Jurisdiction," 30th annual Environmental Permitting School, Florida Chamber Foundation, July 2016
- “Applicator Alert – Environmental Permitting, Compliance & Regulatory Current Issues,” South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society Meeting, February 2015
- Florida Environmental Network, Inc. 28th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, “Federal Wetland Jurisdiction,” and “Planning for Sustainability 101," moderator, July 2015
- Florida Environmental Network, Inc. 28th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, “Federal Wetland Jurisdiction,” and “Planning for Sustainability 101”, moderator, July 2014
- Florida Environmental Network, Inc., 27th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, “Federal Wetland Jurisdiction,” July 2013
- Co-author, “How to Obtain a State Environmental Permit,” Treatise on Environmental and Land Use Law, Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar, June 2013
Speaking Engagements
Publications
Involvement
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, 2005-09, 2012-23
- Secretary, Board of Directors, 2016
- SW Chapter President, 2006-09
- Florida Brownfields Association, 2023
- American Water Resources Association, 2012-23
- Florida Law Review, 2010-12
- Managing Editor, 2011
- UF Law Association for Women, 2010-12
- Society of Wetland Scientists, 2005-09
Civic & Community Service
- Broward County Transportation Surtax Oversight Board, Environmental Sciences, 2021-23
- Museum of Discovery and Science, Friends of MODS Board Member, 2014-20
Education
- University of Florida, J.D., magna cum laude, 2012
- University of Florida, B.S. Plant Science, cum laude, 2005
Admissions
- Florida, 2012
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 2019
