Douglas M. SmithDouglas M. Smith

119 South Monroe Street, Suite 300
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850.222.7500



Experience

  • Twelve years of experience devoted to real property, land use, construction, and commercial litigation.
  • Represents numerous community development districts in complex non-residential foreclosures and construction disputes.
  • Represented developers defending land use entitlements issued by local governments, including consistency challenges brought pursuant to Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and petitions for writs of certiorari.
  • Represented various interests challenging the validity of development orders issued or being considered by local governments.
  • Represented contractors in bid protests involving multi-million dollar procurements.
  • Represented developers in construction lien and contract deposit disputes involving residential condominiums developments.
  • Handled a variety of real property disputes, including boundary disputes, title litigation, riparian rights disputes, real property contamination, property owner association disputes, easement litigation, and restrictive covenant enforcement.

Education 

  • University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, California
  • Juris Doctor, With Great Distinction (1999)
    • Valedictorian (Day Division)
    • Order of the Coif
    • Articles and Comment Editor, McGeorge Law Review
    • American Jurisprudence Awards in:  Contracts, Evidence, Constitutional Law, Sales & Leases, Criminal Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Community Property and Remedies
    • Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (1998-1999 edition)
  • California State University, Chico, California
    • Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, Economics and Music (1995)
    • Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society 

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Florida Bar (admitted 2005)
  • California Bar (admitted 1999, inactive)

Publications and Presentations

  • The Florida Bar Journal, co-author, "ABCs of Local Land Use and Zoning Decisions" Vol. LXXXIV, No. 1 (January, 2010).
  • Florida Administrative Practice, co-author, Ch. 8, Environmental Agencies, 8th and 9th Editions.
  • Author, Comment, Ohio v. Robinette:  Per se Unreasonable, 29 McGeorge L. Rev. 897 (1998)

Awards and Recognition

  • Listed as a "Florida Super Lawyers" Rising Star, in the annual publication of the Florida Super Lawyers 2010 and 2011 Editions.

Douglas M. Smith Practices in: Administrative Law, Land Use and Growth Management, Litigation, Real Estate.