Former Tampa City Attorney Gina Grimes is joining Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as a partner, where she will lead the firm’s land use planning and economic development efforts in Florida. In that role, she will focus her practice on real estate and economic development matters pertaining to land use, zoning, and governmental affairs, assisting clients throughout the entire life cycle of significant real estate development projects across the state. Ms. Grimes will officially join Bradley on November 1.
Ms. Grimes previously served as Chief Assistant City Attorney and City Council Attorney for the City of Tampa from 1985 to 2004 before joining the Tampa law firm of Hill, Ward and Henderson as a land use and zoning partner for 15 years. Ms. Grimes served as the Tampa City Attorney for the past three years following her appointment to that position by Mayor Jane Castor.
“Gina is considered one of the most experienced and preeminent land use attorneys in Florida, marking a significant addition to our firm’s growing real estate development and construction team in Tampa,” said Bradley Tampa Office Managing Partner R. Craig Mayfield. “We are excited to welcome her to the firm and know that her background in both the public and private sectors will enhance the already high level of service we are able to provide our real estate and construction clients throughout the country and particularly in Florida.”
Ms. Grimes is the most recent addition to Bradley’s real estate development and construction practices in Florida. In February, the construction team of Ben Dachepalli, Tim Ford and Ron Espinal joined the firm, substantially expanding the firm’s construction practice in Tampa.
“The addition of Gina Grimes to our Tampa office, along with Ben, Tim and Ron, provides our clients with a leading real estate development and construction team in the market,” said Bradley’s Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters.
“Gina and I worked together for 15 years, and I am so excited to team up with her again at Bradley,” added Bradley Construction Practice Group Partner Ben Dachepalli. “Combining Gina’s expertise in land use and zoning with our existing real estate and construction practices will provide clients with true turnkey legal services for real estate development projects throughout our region.”
Brooks R. Smith, leader of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, added, “The addition of Gina reflects yet another important step in our strategic growth plan for the Florida market, building upon a team of exceptional attorneys well-equipped to handle each phase of real estate development.”
Ms. Grimes’s practice will include representation of both public and private-sector clients in all local government and development matters. She has extensive experience in all areas of land use, including land use litigation, Development of Regional Impacts (DRIs), comprehensive planning, zoning, subdivisions, impact fees, development design regulations, historic preservation, concurrency, and building and permitting regulatory issues. Additionally, as part of Bradley’s Economic Development practice, Ms. Grimes will represent and counsel private-sector clients regarding resolution of issues with government agencies, including matters such as economic development incentives, regulatory legislation, and the preparation and negotiation of various agreements with government agencies. Ms. Grimes is a member of The Florida Bar’s Local Governmental Law Section and Environmental and Land Use Section, and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. She received a variety of appointments by the Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Commission to serve on public boards impacting community concerns such as cultural, budgeting, economic development, and the Hillsborough County Charter.
Bradley’s Real Estate Practice Group is deeply embedded in the commercial real estate industry, serving every sector of the market, including office, multi-family, industrial, healthcare and medical, hospitality, and residential tract development, whether through acquisitions, financing, land use, zoning, lending, leasing, construction, regulatory, tax, and other legal counsel, guidance or advice. The team handles complex, multimillion-dollar projects for large institutions, as well as routine transactions for clients whose primary interests are in real estate investment or development.
Bradley’s Economic Development Practice Group’s depth and breadth enable the firm to handle projects throughout the United States with a creative, multidisciplinary approach. The firm’s attorneys have handled some of the largest deals in the country by assisting the client’s site selection team, not only in connection with identifying and implementing the economic development incentives but also in the many aspects of the new project or expansion, including real estate, tax, governmental, planning and zoning, environmental, permitting, financing, labor and employment, and construction.
About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s more than 600 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.
