Our Team

Founder

Jeffrey S. Bass is the founding member of the firm. He regularly litigates at the trial and appellate level in both state and federal court. In addition, Jeff maintains a robust practice before administrative agencies and local governments. He represents municipal and county government, universities, businesses, and individuals in all manner of conflicts involving the use and development of real property, property rights, entitlements, constitutional law, zoning disputes, historic preservation, local government law, business disputes, regulatory conflicts, environmental disputes, and trust and estate litigation. Beyond the foregoing, Jeff frequently serves as a counselor to large institutions and national law firms seeking to navigate Florida’s complex regulatory regimes with respect to zoning, land use, and development.

Best Lawyers named Jeff Lawyer of the Year 2021 in litigation, land use, and zoning. He enjoys a Band One ranking in Chambers and has been AV rated since 2002. Jeff is the recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Outstanding Act of Heroism.

Jeff pioneered a course on the regulation of design that he teaches at the University of Miami School of Architecture and within the University of Miami’s Masters in Real Estate Development program. He also lectures throughout the State of Florida on land use and litigation issues. Jeff was invited to join the faculty of the Good Government Initiative in 2011 where he lectured on comprehensive planning and zoning to a select group of elected officials from throughout the State of Florida.

The depth and breadth of Jeff’s practice is illustrated with the following sample of recent matters. Throughout 2020-21, Jeff represented the City of Miami Beach, Baptist Health South Florida, Dezer Development, TREO Group, and Deco Capital Group on a wide variety of complex regulatory matters involving the use, development, and regulation of land. Throughout 2019, Jeff successfully represented St. Lucie County as special outside counsel defending the County in federal court against an equal protection claim brought under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983.

Between 2015 and 2020 Jeff successfully entitled nearly 20-acres along the US-1 corridor in Coral Gables and South Miami with over 3 million square feet of mixed-use development. From 2015 to 2019, Jeff successfully represented Federal Realty Investment Trust together with Grass River Property to secure a transformational entitlement suite for the property known as the Sunset Place. The entitlements authorized the development of over 1.1 million square feet of mixed-use development along the US-1 corridor in South Miami. Between 2014 and 2017, Jeff successfully represented NRI in the entitlement of Gables Station, the Thesis Hotel, and the Residences at Thesis – resulting in 1.6 million square feet of new mixed-use and hotel development along the US-1 Corridor in Coral Gables. With these approvals the US-1 corridor is being transformed from antiquated strip-shopping centers with seas-of-asphalt parking into elegant mixed-use, vertical development with vibrant public spaces and connectivity to Metrorail.

In 2010, Jeff concluded a successful, multi-year effort to negotiate a comprehensive development agreement between the University of Miami and the City of Coral Gables. Then University of Miami President – and former United States Congresswoman – Donna Shalala was quoted as saying, “The agreement sets us on a course for appropriate and thoughtful development. I consider this agreement to be the most important accomplishment of my presidency.” The development agreement authorized the development of 6.8 million square feet of development on the Coral Gables Campus over a twenty (20) year build-out term together with a host of robust community enhancement packages. It also included a comprehensive re-write of the City’s existing land development regulations and comprehensive plan. The development agreement was approved unanimously by the City of Coral Gables City Commission in September 2010.

On September 29, 2008, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awarded the Carnegie Medal for Outstanding Act of Heroism to Jeff for risking his own life to successfully rescue an unconscious and badly injured near-drowning victim in the waters off of Key Largo, Florida. For this life-saving rescue, Jeff was also recognized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and by the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

In 2006, then Governor Jeb Bush appointed Jeff as a Commissioner for the Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission. In 2010, then Governor – now United States Congressman Charlie Crist – re-appointed him. In 2014, then Governor – now United States Senator Rick Scott – re-appointed him to a third term. Jeff served as Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission from 2011-2012.

Jeff enjoys running, swimming, cycling, and playing the guitar. Jeff is an avid catch-and-release angler who loves to fly fish in both fresh and salt water all over the globe (fish do not live in ugly places). At age 50, Jeff elected to take up the game of golf. He is unable to describe his golf game in language suitable for this website.