Diane W. Carr
123 South Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850.222.7500
dcarr@hgslaw.com
Experience
- Served as Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and charged with managing licensure and regulatory needs of 1.6 million Floridians with business interests that include alcoholic beverages and tobacco; pari-mutuel wagering; hotels and restaurants; condominiums, timeshares, homeowners associations, and mobiles homes; and nineteen professions, including accounting, architecture, engineering, contracting, veterinary medicine, cosmetology, and real estate, 2003-2005
- More than 15 years experience representing business interests before the Florida Legislature and various executive branch agencies, including the Departments of Financial Services, Environmental Protection, Business & Professional Regulation, Revenue, Legal Affairs, Agriculture, Management Services, the Agency for Health Care Administration, Health, and the Executive Office of the Governor
- Lobbies for laws benefiting Florida's business community, including regulatory reform and streamlining licensure and permitting procedures.
- Prior experience representing the business community includes positions as:
- Senior Vice President & General Counsel for the Florida Retail Federation, 1997-2001
- Vice President & Assistant General Counsel for Associated Industries of Florida, 1994-1997
- Vice President for Government Relations for the Florida Bankers Association, 1991-1993
- Current Member, Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors
- Board and Chair, Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association, 1997-2003
- Board, Florida Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association, 1997-2003
- Member, Governor’s Task Force on Workers’ Compensation Administration, 2000-2001
- Member, Governor’s Privacy & Technology Task Force, 1999-2001
- Counsel, Commerce Committee for the Florida House of Representatives, 1989-1990
Education
- Florida State University, J.D. 1988, B.A. 1977
- Law Review, Executive Editor
- Moot Court
- Public Service Fellowship
- Certificate in Association Management, Tallahassee Community College, 2000
- Certificate in Organization Management, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2001
Bar and Court Admissions
- Florida Bar, 1988
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida, 1990
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Florida Bar Association
- Tallahassee Bar Association
Publications and Presentations
- 'Community Safeguards Against Predatory Contracting', National Association of Counties, County News, Vol.37, No. 24, December 2005
- Author, “The Florida Supreme Court is Asked to Decide Whether Punitive Damages May Be Awarded Against a Deceased Tortfeasor’s Estate” 15 Florida State University Law Review 375 (1987), quoted by the Florida Supreme Court in Lohr v. Byrd, 522 So.2d 845, 847 (Fla. 1988).
Community Involvement
- Leadership Florida, Class XVII
- Guardian Ad Litem
Award and Recognition
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America, for Government Relations Law, 2008 Edition.
Diane W. Carr Practices in: Administrative Law, Business Expansion and Relocation, Legislative Practice, Business Regulation