Gary P. Sams
119 South Monroe Street, Suite 300
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850.222.7500
gsams@hgslaw.com
Experience
- Statewide practice encompassing a variety of environmental and land use interests and issues in major Florida metropolitan areas and approximately one-half of Florida's counties.
- Provides strategic advice to corporations, associations, government agencies and individuals on large-scale development projects.
- Permitting of land development and industrial projects before local, state, regional and federal agencies.
- Litigation before federal district courts in Florida, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Circuit Courts, District Courts of Appeal, and Florida Supreme Court.
- Represents electric utilities and power project developers in the siting, permitting and financing of electrical power plants and associated facilities.
- Represents land developers and local and regional governmental entities in connection with developments of regional impact, comprehensive planning, zoning and permitting.
- Represents water and sewer utilities and agricultural interests in environmental permitting and related matters.
- Represents petroleum industry members in the permitting of drilling projects, pipelines and tank farms.
- Represents phosphate mining companies in federal, state and local permitting of mining and reclamation.
- Represents port facilities in strategic planning and development permitting.
- Represents professionals and businesses in competitive public bidding challenges.
- Listed: Best Lawyers in America and Leading American Attorneys
Education
- University of Michigan, J.D., 1969
- Harvard University, B.A., 1966
Bar and Court Admissions
- Michigan Bar, 1969(inactive); Florida Bar, 1971
- U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Professional Affiliations
- Advisory Board member, F.S.U. Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law.
Community Involvement
- Former board member and president of a multi-county legal aid organization
- Founding member and general counsel of an educational nature preserve
- Leadership Florida
- Volunteer attorney for a regional hospice organization
Awards and Recognition
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America, for Environmental Law and Land Use & Zoning Law, 1989-2009 Edition.
- Listed as one of the "Florida Super Lawyers", for Environmental Law, Land Use/Zoning and Environmental Litigation, in the annual publication of The Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2009 Edition.
- Listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers, for Environmental Law, 2004-2008 Edition.
- Listed in the 2004-2006 Edition of Florida Trend Magazine's "Legal Elite" for Environmental and Land Use Law.
- Listed in "Whos Who Legal of Florida" in the area of Environmental Law.
- Has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
- Who's Who Legal: Florida 2008, for Environmental Law.
- "Leaders in their Field", Chambers USA 2009, in the Environment (Florida).
Gary P. Sams Practices in: Administrative Law, Climate Change, Due Diligence/Regulatory Compliance Counseling, Energy Facilities Siting and Licensing, Land Use and Growth Management, Litigation