Richard S. Brightman
119 South Monroe Street, Suite 300
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850.222.7500
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Experience
- Represents clients before local, state and federal government officials, agencies, courts and elected bodies, including county commissions, Governor and Cabinet, and the Florida Legislature, on a variety of environmental, land use, regulatory and proprietary matters.
- Co-counsel in seminal property rights takings case before the U.S. Supreme Court, "Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection", No. 08-1151 (argued December 2, 2009).
- Represents clients on coastal regulation matters, including coastal permitting for single and multi-family structures, seawalls and revetments, and beach renourishment.
- Represents clients relating to submerged land leases for docks and other structures, submerged lands easements for bridges and cable and pipeline crossings, and incidental crossings and temporary uses of submerged lands.
- Represents clients on matters concerning water source construction and operation permits, NPDES permits, federal dredge and fill permits, environmental resource permits, and enforcement and rulemaking related to water resource permitting.
- Represents clients on issues involving oil and gas, including geophysical permits, well drilling and operating permits, recertifications, correlative rights, and petroleum transportation and storage.
- Represents clients before State and Federal agencies on issues related to protected species permitting and enforcement.
- Former in-house counsel for environmental consulting firm.
Education
- University of Florida, J.D., with honors, 1979
- University of Florida, M.S., Environmental Engineering Sciences, 1976
- Florida State University, B.S., 1971
Bar and Court Admissions
- California Bar, 1980
- Florida Bar, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th and 11th Circuits
- U.S. District Courts, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Federal District Court, Southern District of Florida
Professional Affiliations
- Florida Bar Association, Sections on Environmental and Land Use Law, Administrative Law, and Local Government Law
- State Bar of California
Publications and Presentations
- Author "Incipient Incompatible Use Policy", Florida Bar Journal, April 1995.
Awards and Recognition
- Listed as one of the "Florida Super Lawyers", for Environmental Law, Energy and Natural Resources, in the annual publication of The Florida Super Lawyers, 2007 Edition.
- Listed in the 2006 Edition of Florida Trend Magazine's "Legal Elite" for Environmental and Land Use Law.
- Has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
Richard S. Brightman Practices in: Climate Change, Coastal Regulation, Energy Facilities Siting and Licensing, Endangered and Threatened Species Protection, Oil & Gas, State-owned Lands, Water Resources, Wetland Regulation and Mitigation Banking.