Laura K. Wendell

Partner

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Laura is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in the field of Appellate Practice, and concentrates her practice in the areas of litigation and appellate practice in State and Federal courts. She has achieved multiple appellate victories in the areas of land use, zoning, code enforcement and eminent domain proceedings, including the successful representation of municipal and governmental clients in Renaissance Charter School v. Miami-Dade County School Board, First District Court of Appeals; Jones v. City of Sunrise, Fourth District Court of Appeals; United Real Estate, Inc. v. Village of Key Biscayne, Third District Court of Appeals; City of Marco Island v. Dumas, Second District Court of Appeals; Swerdlow et al. v. Islamorada, Village of Islands, Third District Court of Appeals; Gil Erikson Properties, LLC v. Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, Fourth District Court of Appeals; Skeel et al. v. Department of Community Affairs and Islamorada, Village of Islands, First District Count of Appeals; Smith v. Islamorada, Village of Islands, Third District Court of Appeals; Spetsiotis v. Town of Miami Lakes, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Appellate Division; Padillas v. Village of Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Appellate Division; Oli Development, Inc. v. Islamorada, Village of Islands, Monroe County Circuit Court, Appellate Division.

Laura has also successfully represented local housing authorities in a variety of appellate challenges, including Jones v. Dania Beach Housing Authority, Broward County Circuit Court, Appellate Division; Torres v. Dania Beach Housing Authority, Broward County Circuit Court, Appellate Division; Gibbs v. Homestead Housing Authority, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Appellate Division.

In addition to appellate victories, Laura has participated in a wide-variety of litigation matters on behalf of private and municipal clients. Among her accomplishments, she has successfully obtained summary judgments in zoning disputes, construction disputes and constitutional law challenges, and has successfully represented private clients in a variety of administrative law proceedings. She also has significant experience in a wide-variety of insurance coverage disputes, securing favorable coverage determinations for municipal as well as private clients.

Laura is the President-Elect of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), having previously served this statewide voluntary bar organization as Treasurer, Journal Editor and Development Director.  Laura is a Director of the Miami-Dade Chapter of FAWL.

Laura also currently serves The Florida Bar on the Appellate Court Rules Committee, and is a member of both the Third District Historical Society and the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society.

Published Works

  • "Milestones and Statistics Women Leadership in The Florida Bar," FAWL Journal, Fall Edition, 2009
  • "Women Making History, Janet Reno," FAWL Journal, Spring Edition, 2010
  • "Mistakes Happen: Fixing Them Through Curative Legislation," Stetson Law Review, Volume 37, Number 2, Winter, 2008
  • "Florida Law Concerning Local Government Construction Contracts: Overview of Procurement Methods and Project Delivery Systems," The Real Estate Finance Journal, Fall, 2008
  • "The Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act: Overview and Recent Developments in Florida," Real Estate Finance, Volume 24, Number 6, April, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Appellate Practice Section of The Florida Bar
  • Appellate Court Rules Committee of The Florida Bar, 2008 - 2011, 2011-2014
  • Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL)
    • President Elect, 2011-2012
    • Treasurer, 2010-2011
    • Journal Editor, 2009-2010
    • Development Director, 2008-2009
  • Miami-Dade Chapter of Florida Association for Women Lawyers
    • Board of Directors, 2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009
    • Recipient of President's Award, 2008-2009

Press Mentions