Patrice Boyes

Patrice Boyes represents property owners, institutional clients, business owners and local governments in state court and administrative hearings regarding land use and environmental matters. She manages teams of diverse legal and expert consultants to develop strategic solutions to complex permitting and economic development matters. Patrice is experienced in conceptualizing and executing paths for securing approvals, including matters involving environmental issues. She has overseen numerous transformative mid-rise projects in an urbanizing college town, and secured approval of the largest mixed-use development ever approved in Alachua County.

Patrice also serves as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit & Appellate Court Mediator and is highly skilled in mediation, facilitation and negotiation regarding complex legal problems that require creative resolutions. She also serves as a Special Magistrate under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (§ 70.51).

Prior to joining the firm, for more than three decades Patrice served as principal and founder of her own practice in Gainesville, Florida. She also co-founded a hydro-geologic consulting firm and served for 16 years in various positions, including Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel.

Areas of Concentration:

Land Use & Zoning

• Local Development Order Approvals – Annexation, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Conditional Uses, Right of Way Vacations, Special Exceptions, Special Uses, Legal Nonconforming Designations, Variances, and Zoning
• Development Agreements – between private parties and with public, government entities
• Large Scale Master Planning/State Regulation – Planned Unit Developments (PUDs), Developments of Regional Impact (DRI)

Land Use & Property Rights Litigation

• Administrative Hearings & Appeals
• Circuit Court Proceedings & Appeals
• Dispute Resolution & Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (FLUEDRA) Proceedings – including Special Magistrate/Mediation services

Environmental & Natural Resources

• Property Contamination & Redevelopment – Brownfield Redevelopment, Environmental Due Diligence
• Groundwater Contamination & Remediation Oversight
• Landfill Permitting, Compliance & Closure
• Biosolids; Composting & Recycling; Bio-char & Biomass fuels
• Renewable Energy – Solar Leasing
• Mining Operations – Permitting, Compliance & Enforcement
• Dairy Industry Compliance

Prior to law school, Patrice was a journalist and worked as Political Editor of the Tampa Tribune, and as a contributor to the New York Times. She also worked for newspapers in Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, FL., and York, PA.

Patrice is also an artist who paints contemporary fine art inspired by the natural world and built environment. She has had solo exhibitions of her work in private, civic and college galleries and numerous group exhibitions within the United States.