Overview
Glenn is a litigator who represents clients in complex civil and government-related matters throughout Florida and across the country. He has over 25 years of experience with high-stakes litigation matters with values in the billions of dollars. Glenn is a thought leader in Election Law and the Cannabis industry and has been quoted and interviewed in nearly 300 articles.
Glenn is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and has been instrumental in the Tallahassee office’s expansion. He is involved with the day-to-day management and growth of the office, employee morale, and collaboration with other offices.
Areas of Concentration
- Complex commercial and class action litigation, including appeals in various federal and state jurisdictions, toxic tort and products liability.
- Administrative law and governmental litigation, including numerous administrative hearings, certiorari, quo warranto and other special writ proceedings, litigation under Florida’s Public Records Act and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA), and representation of complainants and respondents before the Florida Elections Commission and the Florida Commission on Ethics.
- Governmental investigations for various industries including energy companies, car rental companies, for-profit colleges and career educational institutions, manufacturers and retailers, direct mail and digital marketers and service firms.
- Counsel federal and state office holders and candidates, political committees, corporations, foundations, lobbyists, and high net-worth individuals with respect to election law, campaign finance compliance, and lobbying activities.
- Policy development, strategic consulting, and drafting of proposed legislation and ballot initiatives, as well as challenging legislation and ballot proposals.
- Cannabis law including regulatory compliance; administrative litigation relating to medical marijuana rules/regulations; preparation of licensing applications; legislative and public referenda strategy; statutory and constitutional analysis of enacted and proposed cannabis related statutes, rules/regulations and Florida constitutional amendments.
- Land use and property rights litigation typically representing property owners and developers across a broad range of matters including comprehensive plan consistency challenges, concurrency and impact fee credit agreements, major conditional use and other permits, Bert J. Harris Act and takings.
- Prosecute and defend bid protests in various jurisdictions.
Representative Experience
Complex Commercial & Class Action Litigation
- Lead trial counsel for major cannabis company in defense of a class action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of global petroleum marketer in defense of an action challenging resolution of underground storage tank claims; defended case through final appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, which affirmed the judgment below.
- Obtained summary judgment on issue of first impression construing insurance coverage of actual charges for protective and supportive cancer treatments; defended case through final appeal to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which affirmed the judgment below.
- Defended global integrated energy corporation in multiple class actions for property damages and medical monitoring arising from alleged exposure to contaminated groundwater.
- Represented internet-based gold and jewelry buyer in defense of nationwide consumer class action alleging deceptive and unfair trade practices; class certification was denied.
Administrative Law, Governmental Litigation & Investigations
- Represented leading sports broadcast network and streaming service in novel action brought by the Florida Attorney General seeking access to the network’s trade secret agreements under the Florida Public Records Act.
- Co-lead trial counsel for Florida’s largest County-created expressway authority in opposing actions to abolish the authority and transfer all of its $4 billion in assets to a legislatively created agency, including a quiet title action. Obtained summary judgment at the trial level and defeated a Petition for Writ of Prohibition at the appellate level. Trial on the authority’s amended complaint is pending.
- Lead trial counsel for Florida gulf coast County in a matter of first impression concerning the public’s right of customary use over more than 1,100 privately owned beachfront properties and spanning 26 miles of coastline. Managed team of a dozen attorneys that conducted nearly 300 depositions in less than four months. After resolving most claims via settlement, led team that secured eight summary judgments establishing public access over the remaining beach areas.
- National counsel for global integrated energy corporation in multiple state investigations and litigation arising from alleged underground petroleum storage tank liabilities.
- Lead outside counsel to Florida state agency responsible for managing docket of nearly 2,000 administrative law matters involving Medicaid fair hearings, including oversight of statewide hearing team of 20 attorneys.
- Developed and implemented: case management and tracking database; witness training program for agency’s personnel; training program for hearing attorneys; standardized pleadings, discovery documents, evidentiary submissions, and hearing procedures.
Election & Political Activity Law
- General Counsel to Florida gubernatorial campaign.
- General Counsel to Smart & Safe Florida, sponsor of Amendment 3 (2024 general election). Drafted the proposed amendment and ballot language; developed legal strategy and briefing at the Florida Supreme Court; provide campaign compliance advice.
- General Counsel and Chair of political committee sponsor of the All Voters Vote Amendment (2020 general election). Drafted the proposed amendment and ballot language. Successfully defended the ballot language at the Florida Supreme Court. Oversaw multi-million dollar effort that obtained more than 5.8 million votes.
- Represented Florida Governor and Secretary of State in mandamus and quo warranto proceedings before Florida Supreme Court challenging gubernatorial appointments to fill judicial vacancies.
- Represented a national membership organization and other advocacy groups in a voters' rights challenge to Florida's "no match, no vote" law.
- Represented congressional candidate in election contests arising from the alleged malfunction of touch-screen voting machines.
- Served as lead trial counsel in concurrent election contests brought under the Federal Contested Election Act in the United States House of Representatives and under Florida law in state court.
- Coordinated a multi-county recount effort and interfaced with county and state elections officials concerning post-election parallel testing and software auditing.
Land Use Litigation
- Lead counsel for developer of a 524 acre mixed use parcel in St. Johns County, Florida, involving claims for breach of a Concurrency and Impact Fee Credit Agreement, Section 1983 violation and takings, and defense against counter-claim to specifically perform roadway improvements of nearly $50 million. In a companion suit, after a bench trial, secured final judgment in the developer’s favor finding the County violated the Florida Public Records Act by failing to disclose records relating to the Agreement and County’s conduct relating to its performance under the Agreement.
- Lead trial counsel for developer in a matter of first impression defending a development order issued by Collier County approving development of a 1,000 acres mixed-use “rural village” development within the “Rural Land Stewardship Area” (“RLSA”). The RLSA is an innovative voluntary land management and conservation program consisting of approximately 200,000 acres in eastern Collier County, Florida. Under the program, property owners agree to restrict their development rights on environmentally sensitive land in exchange for credits to develop other less-sensitive parcels such as agricultural land. The developer’s proposed rural village was the first to be approved and established precedent for subsequent development in the RLSA. The matter involved two dozen depositions, more than a dozen hearings, arbitration, a five-day bench trial resulting in a final judgment and nearly $3 million fee and cost award in developer’s favor. After an appeal, which affirmed the final judgment and remanded on a partial summary judgment, the matter resulted in a settlement that created a conservation easement to preserve critical habit over more than 600 acres.
- Lead appellate counsel for international hotelier and resort brand in successfully defending against challenges to the Monroe County Planning Commission’s resolution granting of a major conditional use permit for the re-development of a resort with auxiliary affordable housing projects.
- Lead appellate counsel for developer of an affordable housing project in the Florida Keys; defending against the appeal of the County Planning Commission’s resolution granting a major conditional use permit.
Toxic Tort & Products Liability
- Represented global integrated energy corporation in defense and settlement of an environmental class action and companion medical monitoring suit.
- Defended global integrated energy corporation in toxic tort action for personal and emotional injuries arising from the alleged exposure to contaminated groundwater.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tallahassee, Inc., 2011-2019
- Chairman of the Board of Directors, 2017-2018
- Florida Bar Association, Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, 2006-2013
- New York State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Meritas, Firm Representative
- Global Cannabis Group, Steering Committee
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010-Present
Publications & Presentations
Events:
Discrimination Claims Related to Marijuana Use
Meritas, 2024 Litigation and Labor & Employment Groups Meeting|November 2024
Events:
Ballot Language: Adult Use Ballot Initiative Facts & Impacts
MMBAFL Marijuana Policy Conference |September 2024
Publications:
New Law Creates Stricter Requirements for Filing Ethics Complaints at both State and Local Level
Tallahassee Bar Association Bulletin|September 2024
Events:
Future of Hemp Beverages
Florida Beer Wholesalers Association Annual Meeting|September 2024
In the Media, Publications:
No! Florida will not smell like weed if Amendment 3 passes
News-Press|June 2024
Election & Political Law News Update, Publications:
Don’t Lose the Election Before Your Campaign Begins: The Top Four Mistakes to Avoid When Qualifying
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2024
In the Media, Publications:
Here’s how Florida’s cannabis amendment balances freedom and regulation
Tampa Bay Times|March 2024
Government & Administrative News Update, Publications:
Crème de law Admin | Summer 2022
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|August 2022
Newsroom
In the Media:
It’s a stinky issue. Florida debates public pot smoking if voters approve legalization.
Caplin News FIU|November 2024
In the Media:
Abortion amendment supporters, opponents wrangle in courtroom over Florida health agency role in campaign
Sun Sentinel |September 2024
In the Media:
Florida pot legalization campaign seeks to stop DOT ad about driving on marijuana
Politico Pro|September 2024
In the Media:
Circuit Court Judge Jeff Ashton paid qualifying fee 18 days after deadline
VoxPopuli|September 2024
In the Media:
Democratic power broker directs $1 million to DeSantis PAC
Orlando Sentinel|August 2024
In the Media, Publications:
No! Florida will not smell like weed if Amendment 3 passes
News-Press|June 2024
In the Media:
One candidate was fired. Another has multiple arrests. Orlando’s District 5 race heats up.
Orlando Sentinel|June 2024
In the Media:
Trump was found guilty of crimes in New York. Can he still vote in Florida?
The Miami Herald|May 2024