Overview
He brings a great ability to strategize and put together a very strong plan which can be executed. He is organised, reliable and responsive.
Chambers USA 2024
Marco Paredes helps clients formulate and execute strategies to achieve their desired policy goals by analyzing, regularly tracking the progress of, and advocating for and affecting state legislation and regulation impacting clients’ business interests and priorities.
Marco provides clients with strategic guidance and insight, pulling from his experience developing and implementing policy, his established professional relationships with legislators and agency staff, and his broad knowledge of the process and issues before the Florida Legislature, state government agencies, and local governments.
Marco has over 18 years of experience in the public and private sectors. His legislative, executive agency, and public policy experience is diverse, having served as a liaison to the executive and legislative branches of government. Through varied former positions, Marco established a deep understanding of the policy-making process at the federal, state and local levels.
Prior to joining the firm, Marco served as Associate Director for Health for an influential state advocacy organization; as Vice President of Regional Governmental Affairs for a Fortune 500 managed healthcare company; as Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Health; as Senior Manager of State Governmental Affairs for one of the world's leading biotechnology companies; as Director of Public Policy and Government Relations for a major children’s hospital in Miami; and as Legislative Director for a Miami Dade County Commissioner.
Areas of Concentration
- Governmental & Agency Affairs
- Bill & Amendment Drafting
- Issues Research & Management
- Intelligence Gathering, Evaluation & Monitoring of Legislation
- Legislative Strategy
- Florida Executive Branch and Agencies
- Florida Legislature
- Federal Agencies
- Local Governments
- Coalition Management
- Public Policy
- Public Relations
- Health Policy
- Ethics Compliance
- Strategic Political Counsel
Representative Experience
- Drafted and passed legislation that helped clarify statute ensuring that all credits against impact fee collections must be made regardless of any provision adopted by a local government. This change assisted an existing client with their ongoing negotiations with a local government.
- Represented developer client in passing omnibus legislation that made changes to Chapters 718, 719 and 720 of Florida Statutes clarifying how community association boards can operate during a state public health emergency, streamlined community documents and increased transparency. The bill also removed an onerous conflict of interest provision from statute affecting client’s community association.
- Worked collaboratively with a client and the National Guard Association of Florida to secure a state appropriation of $4 million for a workforce training program that allows the client to continue to provide their training services to members of Florida’s National Guard.
- Collaborated with the Land Development group and broad developer coalition to draft and ultimately pass legislation, which allows the transfer of impact fee credits within the same impact fee zone or district, or an adjoining zone or district within the same local jurisdiction.
- Coordinated rate setting strategy before state agency for health care company’s Medicaid managed care business in Florida resulting in a significant rate increase as well as the creation of proposed quality measures for people with serious mental illness.
- Led managed care business development in other states including collaborating with external stakeholders on managed care concept using new flexibility for institutions for mental disease (IMD) hospitals to treat the mentally ill who are uninsured and renewal of existing state contract for care coordination of children in out of home placement.
- Passed state agency priority legislation on several public health issues such as health care practitioner licensing, public health emergencies, regulation of pain management clinics and newborn screening.
- Collaborated with state agency senior leaders to direct legislative engagement and outreach on several emerging public health threats.
- Secured federal appropriation of $4 million for various health care capital projects.
- Passed local ordinances on such issues as campaign finance, price gouging, and the creation of a motorcycle based fire-rescue pilot program.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Tallahassee Bar Association (TBA), 2023-Present
- Association of Florida Community Developers Inc. (AFCD), 2020-Present
- Chair, Growth Management, Transportation & Infrastructure (GTI) Task Force, 2022-2024
- Chair, Special Districts & Associations Task Force, 2021-2022
- Florida Home Builders Association, 2020-Present
- Legal Action Committee, 2023
- Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, 2020-Present
- The Florida Bar Governmental & Public Policy Advocacy Committee, 2021-Present
- The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section (RPPTL), 2021-Present
- Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation, Board of Trustees, 2019-Present
- Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Board of Directors, 2019-Present
- Circuit Two First Step, Board Treasurer, 2017-Present
- Martyrs of La Florida Missions, Board of Directors, 2012-Present
- Catholic Health Association of the United States, Executives of State Catholic Health Associations and Conferences Group, 2017-2019
- Florida Association of Health Plans, Government Affairs, Finance, and Medicaid Committees, 2016-2017
- Blessed Sacrament Church, Parish Council Member, 2013-2015
- Knight Creative Communities Institute, Community Catalyst, 2012-2013
- Literacy Volunteers of Leon County, English as Second Language Tutor, 2012-2013
- Puerto Rico Pharmaceutical Industry Association, Government Affairs Committee 2009 – 2012
- Chair, 2011
- Vice Chair, 2010
- BioFlorida, 2008-2012
- Board of Directors, 2012
- Government Affairs Committee, 2008-2012
- GeorgiaBio, 2008-2012
- Biosimilars Policy Working Group, 2012
- Government Affairs Committee, 2008-2012
- National Association of Children’s Hospital, Public Policy Committee, 2003-2006
Recognition
- Chambers USA, Government Relations: State & Local (Nationwide), Band 2, 2024-Present
- Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch, 2023-Present
- Florida Construction Power 100 in City & State Florida, 2023
Publications & Presentations
Government Affairs News Update, Publications:
Florida Organization Session
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|November 2024
Events:
Legislative Update 2023-2024
Florida Eminent Domain Conference|November 2024
Land Development News Update, Publications:
What's Developing | Spring 2024
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2024
Publications:
Legislative Tax Package includes Live Local Property Tax Exemption Opt-out Provisions for Taxing Authorities
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2024
Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications:
FDACS Promulgates New Rules Addressing Agricultural Land Owned by a Foreign Principal
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|March 2024
Events:
WEBINAR: SB 328 - The 2024 Live Local Act
Stearns Weaver Miller Webinar|March 2024
Government Affairs News Update, Publications:
Rotunda Report Week 9 | March 4-8, 2024
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|March 2024
Government Affairs News Update, Publications:
Rotunda Report Week 8 | February 26-March 1, 2024
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|March 2024
Newsroom
Firm Announcements:
35 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers and 11 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2024
June 2024
In the Media:
Tallahassee Business Podcast: Ep. 128 Live Local Act: What Does it Mean For Businesses?
Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce|April 2023
In the Media:
The Florida Construction Power 100
City & State Florida|February 2023
In the Media:
The 'Heat' Around the Corner
Florida Politics |September 2022
In the Media:
Stearns Weaver Adds Former Assistant AG In Tallahassee
Law360|March 2021
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Names Marco T. Paredes, Jr. as Shareholder
February 2021
In the Media:
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 2.27.20
February 2020
Firm Announcements:
Marco T. Paredes, Jr. Inducted as Member of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees
December 2019