Profile
Tracy H. Lautenschlager practices land use, environmental, airport and aviation, and construction law. She represents private developers in complex interactions with governmental entities, including obtaining entitlements for residential and commercial projects, platting, site plan approvals, land use plan amendments, vacations and abandonments and a variety of other contentious local permitting issues.
She has 16 years of experience as an assistant county attorney, where she represented Broward County's regulatory and planning agencies in the areas of comprehensive planning, land use regulations, zoning, code and environmental enforcement, including litigation in those areas. She also represented the County's Aviation Department as construction counsel for its $600 million expansion program and handled a broad range of matters for the airports, including disputes with adjacent cities, airline lease negotiations, federal and state grant compliance issues, large consulting and construction contracts, an owner-controlled insurance program for construction projects and various tenant and consultant disputes.
Concentrations
- Zoning due diligence for transactions and land-use entitlements for development projects
- Environmental permit requirements for land-development projects
- Counseling for airport and port concessionaires, contractors and tenants
- Construction contract preparation for land owners and contractors
- Global energy and infrastructure
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented international airport concessionaires in responding to Requests for Proposals at Orlando, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark and Seattle airports, including compliance with federal "Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise" rules.
- Advised multiple concessionaires on change of control and investment structures to comply with ACDBE rules.
- Represented airport advertising concessionaire in defending a significant extension to its concession agreement against a protest at Orlando International Airport.
- Represented passenger boarding bridge manufacturer in defeating sole source determination favoring a competitor and in influencing airports to conduct open procurements for new bridges.
- Advised Enterprise Holdings in rent negotiations for a consolidated rental car facility at an international airport.
- Advised electric scooter company in obtaining the first permit issued to operate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Represented fire-alarm system contractor in defeating a local government sole brand specification that had excluded the contractor from bidding.
- Represented Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines in obtaining a new operating agreement at Port Everglades for its "Oasis of the Seas" class 6,000-passenger cruise ships.
- Represented Embraer Aircraft in obtaining a lease extension at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to permit development of a maintenance facility for its new class of executive jet and in negotiating a new long-term land lease at Melbourne International Airport.
- Represented Thornton Construction in obtaining the award of a protested construction contract at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
- Represented Roepnack Corporation in resolving a substantial construction claim with Broward County.
- Represented the South Broward Hospital District in rezoning and other approvals for new Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and related development.
- Represented charter school developer in resolving an airport land-use issue.
- Represented Brenner Real Estate Group in obtaining entitlements for mixed-use projects in the City of Oakland Park, Florida.
- Represented Vertical Yachts in obtaining entitlements for an innovative type of dry stack marina for large yachts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Represented Stationside Village Associates (Pinnacle Housing Group and RAM Development) in obtaining entitlements for Transit Oriented Development, "Sheridan Stationside Village," in Hollywood, Florida.
- Represented affiliates of Starwood Capital in obtaining approvals for two hotel renovations on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida.
- Obtained approval for land use plan amendment for assisted living facility in Tamarac, Florida for Tamarac Real Estate LLC.
- Advised historic downtown Miami church in series of sale transactions that also secured rights in future parking garage.
- Obtained approval for airport-oriented hotel in Fort Lauderdale for Waterstone Capital.
- Obtained approval for shopping center redevelopment including new site of national pharmacy chain in Sunrise, Florida for Waterstone Capital.
- Obtained approval for industrial/warehouse development in Pembroke Park, Florida for Easton/DCT.
- Obtained approval for modified multi-family residential project in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Vistalmar LLC.
- Obtained approval for modified multi-family residential project in Pompano Beach for The Meyer Group.
- Obtained approval for expansion to church and private school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Rio Vista Community Church/Bethany Christian School.
- Negotiated construction contract for golf course redesign in Boca Raton, Florida for Camino Investments.
- Negotiated construction contract for multi-family project in Texas for Palatine Capital Partners Management.
- Conducted due diligence for the Archon Group in acquisition of an 11-parcel portfolio of apartment properties throughout Florida and in acquisition of the Fountains at Delray Beach apartment complex.
- Conducted investigation for KTR Capital Partners in acquisition of a 31-acre Seneca Industrial Park in Pembroke Park, Florida.
- Performed due diligence for Principal Real Estate Investors in acquisition of Lyons Technology Park in Coconut Creek, Florida.
- Conducted investigation for Inland Diversified REIT in acquisition of Port St. Lucie shopping center and two multistate, single-tenant portfolios.
- Performed zoning review for Bon Aviv Investments in acquisition of multistate shopping center portfolio.
- Performed selected lease and land use review for Met Life in a loan secured by a major shopping mall on airport land.
- Conducted land use analysis for The Alexander and Alexander Lofts multi-family project located in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida, for AvalonBay Communities.
- Conducted land use analysis of three industrial portfolios in South Florida for TA Associates Realty.
- Conducted land use analysis of shopping center sites and industrial portfolios in Florida for Longpoint Realty Partners.
- Conducted land use analysis of industrial portfolio in Jacksonville, Florida for Invesco Advisors, Inc.
- Adjunct Professor, Master of Science in Real Estate Development program at H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University, 2014-2016 & 2019
- Assistant County Attorney, Broward County, Florida
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Land Use and Zoning Law, 2023-2025
- Team Member, a Law360 "Environmental Practice Group of the Year," 2022
- Team Member, Chambers & Partners USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year, 2013, 2017-2018 and 2022
- Listed, Boca Raton Observer, "Top Lawyers," 2022-2023
- Listed, Fort Lauderdale Illustrated, "Top Lawyers," Land Use and Zoning Law, 2022-2023
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Environmental Law, 2016
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, "Law Firm of the Year," Real Estate Law, 2015
- Team Member, The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2014
- Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2013, 2015, and 2023
- Member, Florida Bar, Land Use and Environmental Law Section
- Member, Broward County Bar Association
Credentials
Education
- J.D., cum laude, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center
- B.A., summa cum laude, Florida Bible College
Clerkships
- Law Clerk, City of Delray Beach, Florida
Admissions
- Florida
- Supreme Court of the United States