Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A.

What Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A. does

Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A., operating as Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes (BRFLT), is a Miami-based boutique law firm founded in 1996 by Jeffrey Bercow that specializes exclusively in land use, zoning, and environmental law. The firm represents institutional clients — including real estate developers, landowners, investors, hospitality operators (Ritz-Carlton, Marriott/EDITION, citizenM, Rosewood, Nomade/Standard), national homebuilders (D.R. Horton), and public-sector entities — before municipal, county, regional, state, and federal boards across South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties). Its practice spans 17 distinct areas covering the full development lifecycle: due diligence, zoning approvals, comprehensive plan amendments, developments of regional impact, environmental permitting, historic preservation, vested rights, Live Local Act entitlements, transit-oriented development, public benefit agreements, code enforcement defense, and land use litigation and appellate advocacy.

The firm's underlying "technology" is its deep human expertise: a team of approximately 19 attorneys (11 partners/shareholders, 7 associates, 1 of counsel) plus administrative staff, many with prior government-side experience (former City of Miami Zoning Administrator, former Miami-Dade County environmental/zoning attorneys, former Hialeah councilman, former Assistant City Attorneys). This bench provides insider knowledge of regulatory processes and relationships with decision-makers that materially shape entitlement outcomes. The firm has been continuously recognized by Chambers USA (Band 1 for Jeffrey Bercow), The Legal 500 (Hall of Fame for Bercow), Best Lawyers in America, and Martindale-Hubbell (AV Preeminent ratings).

The business model is a classic professional services / partnership model. Revenue is generated through hourly and engagement-based fees for specialized legal services, with custom quoting per matter. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies with matter complexity, scope, and attorney involvement. The firm is privately held as a Florida Professional Association, owned and controlled by its named shareholders (Bercow, Larkin, Fernandez, Tapanes Llahues, Penn), with no private equity, venture capital, or external institutional ownership. GTM is relationship-driven and referral-based, leveraging the firm's 30-year track record, ranked-attorney credentials, and demonstrated wins on precedent-setting projects (e.g., Miami's first 85-story Brickell skyscraper approval).

Name

Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A.

Legal name

Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes (BRFL&T)

Website

https://brzoninglaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes is a Miami-based boutique law firm founded in 1996 that exclusively practices land use, zoning, and environmental law, representing developers, institutional investors, and hospitality operators before South Florida regulatory boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Land use law
• Zoning law
• Environmental law
• Real estate development law
• Land use litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services in land use, zoning, environmental law, and related matters. Services include strategic counsel, application preparation, government board representation, due diligence, litigation, and appellate advocacy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A. is a boutique law firm specializing in land use, zoning, and environmental law in South Florida. The firm provides legal counsel and representation across the full development lifecycle—from due diligence and entitlements through permitting, litigation, and appeals—before local, state, and federal government boards and agencies.

Product overview

Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes (BRFLT) is an award-winning boutique law firm specializing in land use, zoning, and environmental law. The firm provides legal counsel and representation across 17 distinct practice areas covering the full development lifecycle—from due diligence and entitlements through permitting, litigation, and appeals. Services include transit-oriented development, vested rights, zoning approvals, comprehensive plan amendments, code enforcement defense, developments of regional impact, environmental compliance, growth management, historic preservation, land use litigation, Live Local Act approvals, permitting, public benefit agreements, and transfer of development rights. The firm serves property owners, developers, investors, and institutions navigating regulatory approvals at local, state, and federal levels throughout South Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoning Approvals
• Land Use
• Environmental Law
• Land Use and Environmental Litigation and Appeals
• Due Diligence Reviews
• Historic Preservation and Archeological Resources
• Transit-Oriented Development (TODs) and Rapid Transit Zones (RTZ)
• Vested Rights
• Permitting and Impact Fees
• Code Enforcement, Code Violation Defense & Unsafe Structures
• Developments of Regional Impact
• Live Local Act Approvals
• Public Benefit and Development Agreements
• Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs)
• Agricultural Classification & Property Tax Exemptions
• Growth Management and Concurrency
• Amendments of Local Government Comprehensive Plans

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully obtained approvals for Miami's first 85-story skyscraper on Brickell Avenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Design Professionals and ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm works closely with design professionals, consultants, and public officials to anticipate challenges, resolve issues efficiently, and move projects toward approval while aligning legal requirements with business goals. These collaborations are integral to the firm's entitlement process from due diligence to construction.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shutts & Bowen LLP: Florida-founded full-service law firm with a recognized land use, zoning, and environmental practice representing developers across the state. Comparable on the South Florida land use specialty but offers broader geographic reach and adjacent practice areas.
• Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod: Prominent Miami-based full-service firm with a significant land use, zoning, and government law practice serving South Florida developers. Comparable on the land use specialty but materially larger and more diversified across real estate, finance, and corporate work.
• Greenberg Traurig: One of the largest U.S. law firms with a deep Florida land use, zoning, and real estate practice serving major developers and institutional clients. Comparable overlap on entitlement work but offers a full-service national platform versus BRFLT's focused boutique model.
• Akerman LLP: Major AmLaw-ranked Florida-headquartered full-service firm with a sizable real estate and land use practice serving developers and institutional investors. Comparable on the land use and zoning work but operates at far greater scale across multiple practice areas and geographies.
• Holland & Knight: National AmLaw firm with a strong Florida real estate and land use practice serving institutional developers and investors. Comparable on South Florida entitlement work but competes as part of a much larger, multi-disciplinary national platform.
• Gunster: Florida-based business law firm with a land use, zoning, and governmental law practice serving real estate developers across the state. Comparable on regulatory entitlement work for developer clients, though broader in scope and statewide in geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson: Florida-based law firm with a prominent land use, zoning, and governmental law practice representing developers before South Florida municipalities and state agencies. Directly comparable specialty practice serving the same developer/institutional client base in overlapping South Florida markets.
• Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske: South Florida-based law firm with a dedicated land use, zoning, and local government practice serving municipalities, developers, and property owners. Most comparable as a Florida-focused peer with overlapping municipal and developer clients; former BRFLT attorney Mickey Marrero previously practiced here.

Regional players

• Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed: Orlando-headquartered Florida law firm with a well-established land use, zoning, and government law practice representing developers throughout Central Florida. Comparable specialty practice serving the same developer client type but operating in a different Florida region, creating indirect rather than head-to-head competition.

Others

• City, County and Local Government Law Section (Florida Bar): Professional association within the Florida Bar for attorneys practicing local government law, in which BRFLT partner Paul Savage is Board Certified. Industry ecosystem touchpoint rather than a competitor; relevant for understanding the firm's professional community positioning and certification credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Bercow-Radell-Fernandez-Larkin-Tapanes-100063596229084
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bercow-radell-fernandez-larkin-tapanes
• Instagraminstagram.com/brfltzoninglaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A.