Attorneys
Bernie Friedman
Chair

Perry M. Adair
Alan S. Becker
Edgar O. Castro**
William J. Cea
Crystal Connor-Lane
Nelson D. Diaz
Carlos J. Gimenez
Yolanda Cash Jackson
Alan B. Koslow
Steven B. Lesser
Gary A. Poliakoff
Keith M. Poliakoff
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
Cedric A. McMinn**
Neil M. Schiller

Articles
	Hollywood: Law Firm is King in City Hall Miami Herald

2008 Notable State Lobbying Client Accomplishments

** Not a member of the Florida Bar

Becker & Poliakoff is proud of its accomplishments on behalf of its clients. Some notable examples are described below:

• The Firm represented WSG Development in obtaining the necessary zoning entitlements and incentives (90% return of TIFF) for a mixed use development in downtown Hollywood. The approvals which spanned a 15 month period included 10 public hearings for rezoning, master plan approval , design approval, development agreement approval, and significant financial incentives from various city of Hollywood boards including the CRA Board and City Commission. The approvals allow for development of 22 story building (the highest building ever approved in downtown Hollywood ) The Firm also successfully entitled a 41 story ocean-side hotel – Beach One Resort for Fortune Development in a unanimous vote. The approvals are significant, especially because the projects were begun under the previous Mayor and Commissioner and final approval was achieved under the newly elected administration—the first major development projects approved by the new City Commission.
  
  
• Secured hundreds of millions of dollars in line item State Appropriations for human service agencies and nursing homes affiliated with the Florida Association of Jewish Federations during 22 years of representation. Passed substantive legislation to mandate the teaching of the Holocaust in public schools and other legislation related to Hate Crimes and the divestiture of State pension funds from certain countries, such as Iran and Sudan.
  
  
• Secured tens of millions of dollars for the City of Hollywood for senior center programs, beach nourishment, park improvements, museums, and public safety during 17 years of representation. Passed substantive legislation regarding Home Rule Power, Annexation, Community Re-Development Agencies (CRA), Municipal Elections, and coastal construction and development.
  
  
• Supervised the $20 million successful Statewide Political Campaign of Amendment Four (Local Option Slot Machine Gaming) and the local Referendum on behalf of Isle of Capri Casinos and The Isle Casino and Racing at Pompano Park. Passed enabling legislation and Agency Rules to govern slot machine gaming and cardrooms. Worked on hundreds of permit approvals in the design, construction and operation of the new $200 million Isle Casino and Racing at Pompano Park.
  
  
• Passed State legislation on behalf of the Baltimore Orioles and the Florida Grapefruit League that provides tens of millions of dollars in State of Florida funding for the renovation and construction of Major League Baseball Spring Training Stadiums in Florida. Drafted and negotiated detailed interlocal, development, and funding agreements with Broward County , the City of Ft. Lauderdale, and the Broward County Tourist Development Council to provide additional tens of millions of dollars in funding for the new Stadium.
  
  
• Devised the winning strategies for concessions and contracts at Miami and Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports for Duty Free Americas, Secure Wrap, Smart Carte, Hudson News, Delaware North Food and Hospitality, Inc., Travelex Financial and Business Services, Go Airport Shuttle, Supershuttle, Limousines of South Florida, Sunshine cleaning Services, and Air-IT.
  
  
• Helped clients win various hotly contested engineering and design projects at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport such as: Exit Roadway Design Criteria Package, High Speed Taxiway/Airfield Modification and General on-call aviation Engineering for Reynolds Smith Hill, and the award winning design for the Rental Car Garage – Spillis Candella-DMJM-AECOM.
  
  
• Obtained various real estate development entitlements ( zoning, site plan, architectural review, signage, construction permits, variances,  special exceptions, and certificate of occupancy) for TD Bank retail stores (branches) in Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. Involved in over 39 TD Bank store sites. Won RLI in city of Tamarac for TD to provide the city with banking services.
  
  
• Successfully rezoned a residential parcel to industrial/commercial for the expansion of LEXUS of Kendall.  Won a precedent setting appeal of the Miami Dade County road impact fees for client.
  
  
• Modified on an 11-1 vote the Comprehensive Development Master Plan of Miami-Dade County from residential to office/residential for developer client Alfredo Garcia Menocal.
  
  
• Won dozens of land use and zoning battles for various telecommunication providers, such as Nextel-Sprint, and T-Mobile on antenna siting issues in Miami Dade County , Broward County and Palm Beach County.
  
  
• Rezoned from RV3M (town homes) to BU-1-A (commercial) for client Ferro Development to allow for Publix and Walgreens in West Miami Dade County.
  
  
• Led one of the largest wine and spirit distributors, Premier Beverage, through the land use, zoning, and site planning process in Tampa and won approval to turn vacant agricultural property into a 1,575,000 square foot distribution facility and industrial park.  Secured over $250,000 in economic incentives from Hillsboro County Commission. 
  
  
• Secured the passage of State legislation for Access Health Solutions that created a special role for minority physician networks in the delivery of health care to underserved communities in Florida.  Worked extensively in Tallahassee with various agencies, including Agency for Health Care Administration and the Medicaid Program Office, to ensure the promulgation of appropriate agency rules. 
  
  
• Led the successful lobbying campaign for the new $120 million Ocean Properties' Marriott Ocean Village at Hollywood Beach , Resort on the publicly owned land in Hollywood. We also drafted and negotiated the business terms, the long term lease agreement and developer's agreement with the City of Hollywood.
  
  
• Worked to secure tens of millions of dollars in economic incentives and other development rights, entitlements and special exceptions for height, setbacks, density, variances and land use amendments, for various residential, office and mixed use developers such as WSG ($24 million); JPI (City land and parking garage); Firm Realty/Lane Development ($14 million and a City parking garage; Southern Facilities ($15 million). Developer clients include Coscan, Trump Hollywood, Pinnacle/RAM (Sheridan Stationside Transit Oriented Development), Fortune, Cornerstone (Hollywood Stations), Triad (various affordable housing and tax credit projects and DUO in Hallandale Beach), MCZ/Centrum (Sian, Tides, Satori, Crowne Plaza Hotel); Diplomat Hotel ; J.W. Harris (Pompano Beach); Plaza Group (Ocean Palms double density); U.S. Capital (Broward Fashion Mall), Sunshine Gasoline (various service stations).
  
  
• Led the winning team of Seawood Builders/Catalfumo – H.J. Russell for the hard fought right to design and build Broward County 's new $50 million Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill. Negotiated significant change orders, code interpretations, and design criteria issues with County and City officials. Led the winning team of James A. Cummings on the $40 million Broward County Courthouse addition. We also represented Spillis-DMJM, the winning team design professional. We also lead Seawood Builders on the successful award of the $20 million Mills Center design-build project.
  
  
• Quarterbacked the hotly debated and precedent setting long term lease extension for Embraer Aircraft, Inc. 's Aircraft maintenance, and parts distribution center adjacent to the North Runway at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
  
  
• Worked  on behalf of Ocean Harbor Insurance Company during a Special Session of the Florida Legislature to successfully re-enact PIP (Personal Injury Insurance) as a mandatory insurance in Florida. Worked with the Governors Office, House and Senate leaders, the Insurance Commissioner, and many others to reform and re-enact no fault insurance.
  
  
• Quarterbacked a coalition lead by the Florida Retail Federation and hundreds of retailers and shopping center owners in opposition to an Ordinance that would have required mandatory security cameras in all retail parking lots in Broward County.
  
  
• Successfully entitled with land use and zoning one of the first Transit Oriented Developments, Sheridan Stationside Village for developers Pinnacle Housing and RAM Development.  The $500 million project includes over 1050 residential units, 599,000 square feet of commercial/office/hotel/retail space. 
  
  
• Successfully represented U.S. Legal on the award for legal insurance services for Broward County employees, and Equaterra on the Third Party Assurance Contract for the County's ERP computer procurement.
  
  
• Worked with AAA Wheelchair Wagon on the award of their contract to provide social services transportation for Broward County.
  
  
• Represented Florida Stevedore and Hallmark Stevedore before the Broward County Commission in opposition to waiving or changing the rules and Code regarding new Stevedore franchises at Port Everglades.
  
  
• Represented Advanced Auto Parks before City of Miami Code Enforcement Board and successfully reduced a code lien of over $290,000 to $2,500.
  
  
• Successfully defended two contract awards for clients Air-IT and Limousines of South Florida. Both bid protests were denied. Successfully won a bid protest in City of Doral by American Traffic Solutions for the installation of ten cameras.

2008 Notable State Lobbying Client Accomplishments

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