Shutts & Bowen LLP is pleased to announce that attorney James F. Johnston has been certified as a specialist by the Florida Bar in City, County & Local Government Law. Certification, which is a voluntary program, is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience within an area of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice. To obtain Board Certification in this practice area, Mr. Johnston was required to have substantial involvement -- 40 percent or more -- in the practice of city, county and local government law during the three years preceding his application. He passed a peer review, a comprehensive written examination, and completed 60 hours of continuing legal education within the three years immediately preceding his application. Out of Florida’s more than 98,000 lawyers, only 249 are Board Certified in City, County & Local Government Law.
Mr. Johnston focuses his practice in the areas of land use and zoning, government law and real estate in Shutts & Bowen's Orlando office. He has an extensive background in representing developers and property owners on complex commercial, residential and mixed use real estate development projects. James represents clients in all phases of development and regularly appears before local governments throughout Central Florida on land use, permitting, environmental and regulatory issues associated with real property development. This work includes comprehensive planning, rezoning, developments of regional impact, annexation, platting, site planning, code compliance, concurrency, conditional uses, vested rights, and environmental permitting. James also represents clients in administrative hearings and other land use litigation matters.
About Shutts & Bowen LLP
Shutts & Bowen, established in 1910, is a full-service business law firm with approximately 250 lawyers in offices in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Amsterdam. Learn more about Shutts & Bowen at www.shutts.com.