Government Affairs

Florida may be considered one of the more business friendly states in the US, but to companies that operate here, business and professional regulations still require extensive time and resources to meet the demands of compliance.

Whether you need to change a local law, amend or create something at the agency rule-making level, or completely preempt an issue at the state level, our team can help position you to meet the challenge of government regulation. We have helped modernize archaic beverage laws, secured stadium funding for national sports teams, lessened burdensome local regulations for manufacturers and retailers, and reduced nuisance and prohibitive taxes for Florida’s businesses and consumers.

From beverage law policy to occupational licensing, we advocate through our relationships and knowledge base to ensure you can deliver more value to your customers and shareholders without the weight of over-regulation.

With a movement towards value-based care and vertical integration between providers and health plans, the healthcare landscape is changing. Past that, technological and social developments such as telehealth and medical marijuana are creating new value propositions within the industry. With over 55 years of state and federal advocacy experience in issues concerning health care appropriations, regulatory compliance, and legislative matters, we can help position your company for the future.

Our services include:

• State and federal legislative lobbying
• Healthcare appropriations
• Medicaid and Medicare regulatory compliance
• Medicaid and Medicare financing
• Provider and facility regulatory compliance
• Business Development
• Third-Party Administrator licensing and compliance

Over the last century, Florida has turned from a swampy patch of dirt to a global powerhouse. Its rich land and location gives its citizens and businesses value that cannot be found elsewhere.

From the St Joe Company to Duke, our firm has proudly represented some of Florida’s oldest and largest landowners. We have helped guide these and other companies as they diversified from interests in rail, timber and land into residential and commercial development and other real estate ventures. We also represented and helped establish some of the newest entrants to the agriculture market including medical marijuana nurseries seeking state licensure.

Our team has decades of experience working with some of the country’s top growers, developers and land use attorneys. From hemp to housing, we cut through the red tape and reduce stakeholder opposition so you can continue to make Florida the fruitful state it is.

Florida’s catastrophic climate and litigious environment make it one of the hardest markets for insurers to do business in. And considering the stakes at hand, those that can do business here can do it anywhere.

Our team of insurance and financial services professionals has helped steer insurers to profitability in the Florida market for nearly three decades. With multiple former insurance regulators and executives in the firm, we provide both large-scope advocacy and detailed technical expertise to position you for success in the market.

The firm specializes in all lines of insurance including:

• Property Insurance
• Private Passenger and Commercial Auto
• Commercial Insurance
• Excess & Umbrella
• Workers Compensation
• Medical Malpractice
• Life Insurance
• Annuities
• Reinsurance
• Surplus Lines
• Long-Term Care
• Legal Expense Insurance
• Warranties
• Third-Party Administrators

In addition to OIR, DFS, and OFR, we also work with:

• Division of Workers Compensation
• Division of Agent and Agency Services
• National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI)
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
• Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
• Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund
• Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA)
• Actuarial Consulting Firms
• Insurance Trade Associations
• Other residual markets and guaranty funds

The insurance services we provide include:

• Rate and Form Filings
• Financial Filings and Examinations
• Company Formation and Licensing
• Insurer Capital Raises
• De-mutualizations
• Mutual Holding Company Formation
• Re-domestication of Foreign Carriers
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Market Conduct Investigations
• Expansion of Lines of Business
• Regulatory Rule Development
• InsurTech and Regulatory Sandbox expertise
• Legislative Lobbying & Advocacy

Our experience and expertise in telecom, energy and regulated industries is second to none. From communication technology to utility companies operating across the nation, we specialize in heavyweight regulated industries that power our state.

Our team has represented the titans in this space for decades, including nearly 30 years advocating on behalf of the cable television industry. Our partner Charlie Dudley is their trade association chief lobbyist and General Counsel. Being at the forefront of every major communications related legislative and legal issue in Florida since the early 1990’s, we have spearheaded communications services tax reform, led on state and local rights of way and solved complex regulatory issues.

With decades of successes behind us, we continue to champion these industries which allow Florida’s citizens to work and play in the sunshine.

If you are not innovating, then someone else is. Every day, disruptive technologies are being used to upend and disintermediate age old industries. We believe these companies are good for the long-term health of Florida’s business community, so we represent them with passion and vigor.

Of note we have assisted several disruptors in the transportation space. Our work has required us to become experts in autonomous vehicles, electronic license plates, ridesharing, car-sharing, and other on-demand transportation services such as scooters and bikes. We have also leveraged our healthcare expertise to help these companies provide unique new solutions to old problems such as on-demand non-emergency medical transportation under Medicare and Medicaid.

From household names like Uber and Rocket Mortgage to lesser known insurtechs and blockchain specialists, we have helped disruptors become entrenched in the market by combining our old-school tactics with a deep understanding of their cutting edge technology.