Government – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman https://www.wsh-law.com At the Crossroads of Business, Government & the Law Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:36:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 WSHC+B Promotes Daniela Cimo to Partner https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-promotes-daniela-cimo-to-partner/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:24:30 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=12996 WSHC+B announces the promotion of Daniela Cimo to Partner in the firm’s Government Division. Daniela is based in the law firm’s Miami office. Daniela represents local governments and nonprofit organizations on governance and public trust matters, guiding clients through operational and policy decisions that directly impact their communities. Her cross-sector practice gives her practical insight […]

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]]> WSHC+B announces the promotion of Daniela Cimo to Partner in the firm’s Government Division. Daniela is based in the law firm’s Miami office.

Daniela represents local governments and nonprofit organizations on governance and public trust matters, guiding clients through operational and policy decisions that directly impact their communities. Her cross-sector practice gives her practical insight into the ways public entities and nonprofit organizations operate and collaborate within complex regulatory frameworks.

A trusted advisor, Daniela counsels municipalities on day-to-day government functions while also advising on high-profile and strategic initiatives. Her experience includes public property matters, procurement and contracting, ethics and sunshine law compliance, legislative drafting, public-private partnerships, and community development projects. She helps public entities mitigate risk, maintain transparency, and implement policies that support sustainable growth.

Daniela also represents 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and advises private and disadvantaged business entities navigating public procurement and contracting processes, giving her a comprehensive understanding of both the public and private perspectives in government-related matters.

Prior to joining WSHC+B, Daniela served as a staff attorney in the Community Economic Development Unit at Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., where she represented nonprofit and small business clients on a broad range of issues and advised on general governance, commercial, and compliance matters.

“Daniela has earned the confidence of clients and colleagues alike through her thoughtful counsel, deep understanding of government operations, and unwavering commitment to the public interest,” said Chad S. Friedman, Chairman of WSHC+B. “Her promotion to Partner reflects not only her exceptional legal skills, but also her leadership within the firm and the value she delivers to the public and nonprofit institutions we serve.”

Daniela is fluent in Spanish. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from The George Washington University, where she majored in Political Communication and minored in Spanish & Latin American Languages. She is admitted to practice law in Florida and Washington, D.C.

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]]> WSHC+B Partner Edward G. Guedes Featured in Miami Herald on Legality of Changing Election Dates https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-partner-edward-g-guedes-featured-in-miami-herald-on-legality-of-changing-election-dates/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:47:13 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=12188 WSHC+B Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group Edward G. Guedes was recently featured in a Miami Herald article about the ongoing legal debate surrounding Miami’s proposed shift of its municipal election from odd years to even years, potentially postponing the upcoming November election to 2026. The article discusses a decision by a […]

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]]> WSHC+B Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group Edward G. Guedes was recently featured in a Miami Herald article about the ongoing legal debate surrounding Miami’s proposed shift of its municipal election from odd years to even years, potentially postponing the upcoming November election to 2026.

The article discusses a decision by a three-judge panel of the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami-Dade County, which upheld Circuit Judge Reemberto Diaz’s ruling that North Miami Council members acted within Florida law when they voted to move the election date.

Ed represented the city of North Miami in the case. He told the Miami Herald that because the appeals court simply upheld the trial court’s ruling without elaborating in a written opinion of their own, “technically that kind of decision is not binding precedent.” 

Nevertheless, Ed said Florida law allows municipalities to change the election date via ordinance and without voter input. 

“It is very, very clear that the Florida Legislature authorized this kind of election date-changing by cities, and to do so by ordinance notwithstanding a charter,” Ed said.

He emphasized that making the change is “a one-time shot.” “This isn’t just a mechanism for cities to abuse the process and sitting elected officials to continuously extend their terms in office, because it’s a one-shot alignment,” Ed said. “Once you align, that’s it. You’re done.”

Ed is Board Certified in Appellate Practice by the Florida Bar and is chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. He has litigated dozens of appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, Florida’s district courts of appeal, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals in a wide variety of matters, including medical malpractice, premises liability, probate, First Amendment and constitutional litigation, family law, state and federal administrative rule-making and regulation, home rule authority and preemption, election law, civil rights, land use and zoning, intellectual property, and labor and employment issues.

Click here to view the article.

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]]> Gov. DeSantis announces Florida’s New Government Efficiency Task Force: What It Means for Governmental Agencies and Government-Funded Entities https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/gov-desantis-announces-floridas-new-government-efficiency-task-force-what-it-means-for-governmental-agencies/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:05:15 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=11756 On February 24, Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order launching the Florida DOGE Task Force, a state-level initiative aimed at eliminating inefficiencies and reducing costs across governmental agencies and potentially government-funded private entities, vendors, partners, and contractors. This task force will operate for one year, using artificial intelligence to conduct audits and recommend budget cuts. These […]

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On February 24, Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order launching the Florida DOGE Task Force, a state-level initiative aimed at eliminating inefficiencies and reducing costs across governmental agencies and potentially government-funded private entities, vendors, partners, and contractors. This task force will operate for one year, using artificial intelligence to conduct audits and recommend budget cuts.

These entities will likely face increased scrutiny and be required to comply with audit findings and implement recommended changes.  WSHC+B advises local governments and government-funded entities undergoing government investigations and audits, providing guidance to navigate compliance requirements and regulatory reviews. Our team has extensive experience advising public sector clients on audit response strategies and risk management.

Related Attorneys:

Click here to read the official statement and here to read a New York Times article about the Florida DOGE Task Force.

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]]> WSHC+B Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2025 https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-attorneys-selected-for-inclusion-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america-2025/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:21:06 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=11292 Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.  Of the 47 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 14 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch.  Best Lawyers has employed the […]

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]]> Congratulations to all our attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Of the 47 lawyers recognized, 12 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized for the very first time and 14 attorneys were recognized as Ones to Watch. 

Best Lawyers has employed the same transparent methodology for more than 35 years, based entirely on peer review. 

The following includes all Firm attorneys named and areas in which they are recognized:

Miami

Fort Lauderdale

Boca Raton

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]]> Preliminary Injunction Entered to Prevent Enforcement of Florida’s Overly Intrusive Financial Disclosure Requirements https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/preliminary-injunction-entered-to-prevent-enforcement-of-floridas-overly-intrusive-financial-disclosure-requirements/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:10:56 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=11186 Miami, FL – United States District Court Judge Melissa Damian has entered a preliminary injunction enjoining the members of the Florida Commission on Ethics from enforcing a new requirement that local Mayors and members of municipal elected bodies file a highly intrusive financial disclosure form. For the past 50 years, municipal elected officials have been […]

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]]> Miami, FL – United States District Court Judge Melissa Damian has entered a preliminary injunction enjoining the members of the Florida Commission on Ethics from enforcing a new requirement that local Mayors and members of municipal elected bodies file a highly intrusive financial disclosure form. For the past 50 years, municipal elected officials have been required to file a Form 1 financial disclosure, which advises the public of the officials’ employers, primary sources of income and major assets.

Last year, Florida enacted a new law that requires municipal elected officials instead to file a Form 6, which requires that elected municipal officials also disclose the amount of their net worth, the amount of their income (including from their primary jobs), the value of each of their assets and the amounts of each liability.  These additional disclosures have nothing to do with the officials’ duties and are not relevant in any way to possible breaches of the public trust.  Judge Damian found that “it is not apparent from the record that a change from the Form 1 requirement to the Form 6 requirement was necessary nor that SB 774 is substantially related to the State’s identified interests.”

In a lawsuit filed by Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, over 170 elected municipal officials from throughout Florida challenged the law as a violation of the First Amendment.  Judge Damian ruled that the elected municipal elected officials “have demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their claim” and prevented the members of the Commission on Ethics from enforcing the new requirement statewide during the pendency of the lawsuit.

“This is the most intrusive form of financial disclosure that I am aware of in the entire nation, requiring more disclosure of quintessentially personal financial information than is required of the President of the United States, members of Congress and elected officials in every other state,” said Firm Partner and Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Director Jamie A. Cole, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs.  “Most municipal elected officials receive little to no compensation for their public service, yet they are being asked to disclose their precise net worth, income and assets.  This legislative overreach has already resulted in the mass resignation of about 125 municipal elected officials and, if allowed, would discourage many others from serving their communities.”

Cole added that the preliminary injunction is a significant step in the plaintiffs’ efforts to ultimately obtain a ruling that the Form 6 disclosure requirements are unconstitutional.

WSHC+B Partners Edward G. Guedes and Anne R. Flanigan, and associate Jeremy Rosner, are co-counsel with Cole in representing the plaintiffs.

Click the links below to see media coverage.

 

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]]> WSHC+B Partner Jamie Cole Interviewed by CBS12 News Regarding Form 6 Requirements https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/wshcb-partner-jamie-cole-interviewed-by-cbs12-news-regarding-form-6-requirements/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:55:52 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=10999 WSHC+B partner Jamie Cole was interviewed by CBS12 News about the lawsuit the firm filed on behalf of dozens of municipalities throughout Florida and their elected officials with respect to the newly expanded Form 6 financial disclosure requirements. “You have disclosed all this private information on the internet, where it will be forever, and expose […]

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]]> WSHC+B partner Jamie Cole was interviewed by CBS12 News about the lawsuit the firm filed on behalf of dozens of municipalities throughout Florida and their elected officials with respect to the newly expanded Form 6 financial disclosure requirements.

“You have disclosed all this private information on the internet, where it will be forever, and expose yourself to potential extortion, kidnapping, or burglary,” Jamie explained. “So basically, the form is going to say I live at this address, and I have $500,000 worth of stuff in my house. It’s an invitation to burglary.”

Watch the full video here: https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-elected-officials-challenge-financial-disclosure-law-form-6-towns-villages-and-cities-floridas-commission-on-ethics-jamie-cole-florida-march-4-2024?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

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]]> Twenty-Six Cities and Seventy-Four Elected Officials File Federal and State Court Lawsuits Challenging Florida’s Overly Intrusive Financial Disclosure Requirements https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/twenty-six-cities-and-seventy-four-elected-officials-file-federal-and-state-court-lawsuits-challenging-floridas-overly-intrusive-financial-disclosure-requirements/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Fri, 16 Feb 2024 16:43:29 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=10944 Miami, FL – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) filed new federal and state court lawsuits challenging the legality of a new law requiring municipal elected officials to file a Form 6 financial disclosure. The complaints were filed on behalf of 26 municipalities and 74 municipal elected officials in the U.S. District Court for […]

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]]> Miami, FL – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) filed new federal and state court lawsuits challenging the legality of a new law requiring municipal elected officials to file a Form 6 financial disclosure. The complaints were filed on behalf of 26 municipalities and 74 municipal elected officials in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami and the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Leon County. 

Previously, all municipal elected officials in Florida were required to complete a Form 1 financial disclosure form, which advised the public of their primary sources of income and primary assets.   Under the new law, municipal elected officials have to complete and file a Form 6, which forces them to publicly disclose quintessentially private, highly personal financial information, including, among other things, the exact amount of their net worth and income and value of every asset worth over $1,000.  More than 100 municipal elected officials in Florida have resigned rather than make these new required disclosures.

The plaintiffs seek a declaration that the Form 6 disclosure requirements violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the privacy clause of the Florida Constitution, along with injunctive relief.

“This is the most intrusive form of financial disclosure that I am aware of in the entire nation, requiring more disclosure of personal financial information than is required of the President of the United States, members of Congress and elected officials in every other state,” said Firm Partner and Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Director Jamie A. Cole, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs.  “Most municipal elected officials receive little to no compensation for their public service, yet they are being asked to disclose their precise net worth, income and assets.  This legislative overreach has already resulted in the mass resignation of municipal elected officials and, if not overturned in court, will discourage many others from serving their communities.”

WSHC+B Partners Edward G. Guedes and Anne R. Flanigan are assisting Cole in representing the plaintiffs.

Click the links below to see media coverage.

WWSB ABC7 News – https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/01/29/over-100-elected-officials-florida-step-down-ahead-new-form-6-requirements/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Sun Sentinel – https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/01/27/freaking-out-over-form-6-at-city-hall-steve-bousquet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Palm Beach Daily News – https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/story/news/local/2024/01/11/palm-beach-town-to-participate-in-lawsuit-against-controversial-new-finance-law-florida-news/72171571007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Islander News – https://www.islandernews.com/news/keybiscayne/plaintiffs-lining-up-to-join-key-biscayne-lawsuit-challenging-form-6-law/article_cf66b522-ca14-11ee-af67-638228d705cb.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Florida Today – https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/08/melbourne-joining-challenge-to-new-financial-disclosure-requirements-for-public-officials/72309815007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

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]]> Anne Flanigan and Daniela Cimo co-author an article in the 2023 spring newsletter of the City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/anne-flanigan-and-daniela-cimo-co-author-an-article-in-the-2023-spring-newsletter-of-the-city-county-and-local-government-law-section-of-the-florida-bar/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Thu, 11 May 2023 14:50:47 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=10414 WSHC+B attorneys Anne Flanigan and Daniela Cimo co-authored an article published in the 2023 spring newsletter of the City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar which discusses how recent authority in Florida and the Eleventh Circuit has analyzed public decorum rules and their enforcement. “As local governments transition away from fully […]

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]]> WSHC+B attorneys Anne Flanigan and Daniela Cimo co-authored an article published in the 2023 spring newsletter of the City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar which discusses how recent authority in Florida and the Eleventh Circuit has analyzed public decorum rules and their enforcement.

“As local governments transition away from fully remote proceedings, many are finding that the uptick in the public’s local government participation has not waned. Thus, returning to the dais in person presents a prime opportunity to revisit public decorum rules and their application at public meetings.”

Anne is a civil litigator whose practice includes federal civil rights matters, personal injury, contract disputes and real property claims. She actively practices in both federal and state courts. 

Daniela is an associate in the Firm’s Government Division and focuses her practice on representing governmental entities in land use, zoning, real estate, affordable housing and general governance matters.

Read the full article here.

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]]> Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman Secures $1.5 Million Arbitration Ruling Against FEMA https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/weiss-serota-helfman-cole-bierman-secures-1-5-million-arbitration-ruling-against-fema/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:51:55 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=9944 Firm’s Mitch Bierman, Justin Luger and Roger Pou successfully represent the Village of Pinecrest in obtaining Hurricane Irma damage reimbursements Miami, Fla. – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) successfully navigated a new federal arbitration process to win a $1.5 million ruling against FEMA on behalf of the Village of Pinecrest. Mitch Bierman, Justin […]

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]]> Firm’s Mitch Bierman, Justin Luger and Roger Pou successfully represent the Village of Pinecrest in obtaining Hurricane Irma damage reimbursements

Miami, Fla. – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) successfully navigated a new federal arbitration process to win a $1.5 million ruling against FEMA on behalf of the Village of Pinecrest. Mitch Bierman, Justin Luger and Roger Pou represented the Village in obtaining reimbursements for damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

This ruling and form of arbitration are expected to have significant impacts going forward as claims related to Hurricane Ian are filed and evaluated. 

A U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals panel ruled that the Village was wrongfully denied virtually all public assistance funding requests from FEMA. The Village’s claims revolved around various categories of debris clearance and removal activities performed between October and December 2017, in response to damage caused by Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017.

Federal arbitration can now be sought through this Board as a last resort for claims of at least $500,000 in densely populated areas and at least $100,000 in certain areas with a population of under 200,000. 

“We are thrilled to secure an appropriate outcome for the Village of Pinecrest through this new arbitration procedure,” said Luger. “The Village’s well-documented claims were disregarded by FEMA at every turn. It is heartening to know that there is now an impartial avenue to pursue justified and documented disaster relief reimbursements.”

Bierman, Partner and Miami Office Managing Director at WSHC+B, is Village Attorney for the Village of Pinecrest.

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]]> Justin D. Luger and Roger C. Pou discuss their recent win against FEMA which secured a reimbursement of more than $1.5 million in damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/justin-d-luger-and-roger-c-pou-discuss-their-recent-win-against-fema-which-secured-a-reimbursement-of-more-than-1-5-million-in-damages-caused-by-hurricane-irma-in-2017/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss Wed, 12 Oct 2022 17:30:16 +0000 https://www.wsh-law.com/?p=9931 WSHC+B attorneys Justin Luger and Roger Pou were featured in an article by the Daily Business Review in which they discussed their recent win against FEMA. Justin and Roger secured a reimbursement of more than $1.5 million in damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 for the Village of Pinecrest. After Pinecrest was repeatedly denied […]

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]]> WSHC+B attorneys Justin Luger and Roger Pou were featured in an article by the Daily Business Review in which they discussed their recent win against FEMA.

Justin and Roger secured a reimbursement of more than $1.5 million in damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 for the Village of Pinecrest.

After Pinecrest was repeatedly denied reimbursement for damages, Justin and Roger used a fairly new arbitration process to win the case. In the wake of Hurricane Ian, these same strategies may be beneficial for the claims that are likely to ensue in the near future.

“Even if you dot your I’s and cross your T’s, they are looking for every little thing and any reason whatsoever to deny any amount of money,” Justin said. Roger suggests for municipalities to “take a very long look and prepare for these hurricanes and other natural events, because that’s the time to make your case, and if you make it now and if you need to arbitrate, you’ll be putting your best foot forward.”

Justin and Roger both work closely with government entities. Justin handles complex commercial, business and municipal/government litigation. Roger focuses his practice on representing municipalities on general matters, including drafting contracts and legislation.

Read the full article in the Daily Business Review here.

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