WEST PALM BEACH – Aug. 13, 2018 – Robert Sanders, Of Counsel with global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A., has been elected chair of the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors (DDA). Sanders, who is also a past president of the Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, has served as the DDA board’s chairman twice before and has been a member of the board three times since 1982.
The DDA is an independent special taxing district created in 1967 by an act of the Florida Legislature to promote and enhance a safe,vibrant West Palm Beach downtown for residents, businesses, and visitors through the strategic development of economic, social, and cultural opportunities. The DDA works to improve and maintain downtown West Palm Beach by offering information and services to visitors, residents, and business owners.
“It is truly an honor to be able to serve the city of West Palm Beach, which is continuing to reach its potential,” said Sanders, who served as city administrator for the city of West Palm Beach prior to joining Greenberg Traurig. “I am looking forward to furthering all of the progress we have made in recent years.”
While with the city, Sanders, who has both accounting and law degrees, led West Palm Beach’s revitalization development efforts as its strategist, key negotiator, and facilitator in all significant economic impact development projects and transactions. During his tenure, he played a key role in several projects that elevated the city, including the Palm Beach County Convention Center, the redevelopment of the West Palm Beach Auditorium and baseball stadium site, and CityPlace.
At Greenberg Traurig, Sanders focuses his practice on governmental, administrative, and real estate matters. He is a member of the firm’s Government Law & Policy and Real Estate Practices. Recently, Sanders played a key role in successfully obtaining the necessary land-use approvals for The Bristol, considered to have elevated the luxury residential condominium market in West Palm Beach.
Years prior, while serving as vice president and general counsel of the Goodman Company, he supervised the development of the Phillips Point Class A twin office towers in West Palm Beach and the Esplanade shopping via in Palm Beach. Before his tenure with the City of West Palm Beach, Sanders was a venture capitalist providing capital and organizational consulting to new and expanding business ventures.
Sanders, the former chairman of The Governors Club of the Palm Beaches, has also been active within Palm Beach County’s nonprofit community, volunteering his time as a fundraiser and chairman for several worthy causes, including the West Palm Beach Library Foundation, the Adam Walsh Children’s Fund, the Palm Beach International Film Festival, the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Florida, and Cities in Schools, a high school dropout prevention program.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.