EDUCATION 

1982, JURIS DOCTOR, cum laude, University of Miami School of Law

1981, MASTER OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING, University of Miami 

1973, BACHELOR OF ARTS, PSYCHOLOGY, University of Miami 

1969-1971, SUNY at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2015 - Present, Gary M. Held, P.A. (sole practitioner, primarily representing local governments as outside land use and zoning counsel, and as a special magistrate or mediator in local government, FLUEDRA, mediation and code compliance proceedings):
     *  Outside Counsel to the City of South Miami, during which service he advised the City in the drafting of Land Development Regulations, and represented various land use boards.
     *  Outside Counsel to the City of North Miami, during which service he advised the City in the re-drafting and re-adoption of its Land Development Regulations; and he is presently representing the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment;
     *  Conflict Counsel to the Village of Pinecrest, during which service he drafted a telecommunications ordinance, and advised the Village in connection with a code compliance violation of a private school's student population cap.
     *  Code Compliance Special Magistrate, Town of Cutler Bay;
     *  Code Compliance Special Magistrate, Village of Pinecrest;
     *  Served as Mediator or FLUEDRA Special Magistrate in cases involving the cities of Miami, Oakland Park, Miami Gardens, Opa Locka, Miami Lakes, Hialeah, and Miami-Dade County.

1999 – 2014, First Assistant City Attorney, City of Miami Beach
    (represented Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, Design Review Board, Historic Preservation Board, and advised City Commission and departments on law involving land use, development, planning, zoning, historic preservation, vested rights, impact fees, nonconforming uses, platting, environmental issues, first amendment, religious issues, special events, nightlife issues, noise, adult entertainment, under 21-liquor issues, covenants, permitting, appeals, litigation, legislation, code compliance, and related matters)

Highlights included:
  • Defended the City as part of a team of attorneys in a zoning dispute over proposed development next to South Pointe Park, which resulted in a settlement with the expansion of park area for the City on the Alaska parcel;
  • Represented the City as part of a team of attorneys in an appeal, litigation and a negotiated settlement to expand the baywalk from 5th Street to Lincoln Road on the Waverly and Flamingo condominium developments;
  • Successfully appealed a Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures Board order to demolish one of the oldest structures in the City, the historic Coral Rock House at 900 Collins Avenue, built in 1916.  The structure is now restored;
  • Defended as part of a team of attorneys the North Beach Recreational Corridor from legal challenge, and negotiated a settlement to allow beachfront homeowners to connect to the path;
  • Successfully defended the right of the Design Review Board to impose restrictions, specifically imposing a height below the maximum permitted height in a zoning district, on a project on Belle Isle, with case law precedent from another Florida appellate court contrary to the City’s position; and
  • Created a system of approved forms for recordable documents necessary for Planning and Building approvals, and posted them on the City Planning Department Forms web page.

1998 - 1999, Gary M. Held, P.A. (sole practitioner)

1989 - 1998, Milledge Iden & Held (partner, 1992-1998)

1988 - 1998, Co-Special Counsel, Zoning Litigation, City of Miami (protected residential zoning of parcel adjacent to Peacock Park against lawsuits challenging denial of commercial upzoning)

1985 - 1989, Thomson Zeder Bohrer Werth & Razook

1985, Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Miami Beach

1982 - 1984, Greenberg, Traurig, Hoffman, Lipoff, Rosen and Quentel, P.A.
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES 

2005 - 2013, 2015 - Present, Chair or Co-Chair, Environmental and Land Use Law Comm., Dade County Bar

2015 - Present, Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, Appellate

1999 - 2012, Legal Advisor, Dade Heritage Trust (Represented DHT on Miami Circle in 1999, securing agreed Court order to protect against destruction of the 2,000 year old archaeological site, then assisted in convincing Miami-Dade County to acquire site by eminent domain)

1999 - Present, Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, Circuit Civil

1998 - 2000, Vice-Chair and Co-Chair, Env’l and Land Use Law Comm., Dade County Bar 

1992, Class XI, Leadership Florida, Florida Chamber of Commerce 
    (Local Program Chair, Miami Session, 1993-1994; Vice-Chair, Program Committee, Miami Session, 1994-1995; Regional Chair, Southeast Region (Monroe, Dade, Broward, Palm     Beach, and Martin counties), and Member, State Board of Regents, 1994-1996) 

1994, Leadership Miami, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce 

1990 - 2000, Board of Directors, Children's Home Society of Florida, Southeast Division 
    (Member, Executive Committee, 1992-1995; Chair-Elect, 1997-1998; Chair, 1998-1999) 

1984 - 1994, Member, Board of Directors, Temple Samu-El Or Olom 
    1999 (Member of Executive Board: 1987-1989; Ways and Means Vice President, 
    1987-1988; Education Vice President, 1988-1989; Chair, Strategic Planning Comm., 1997-1998) 

1984 - 1989, Judge and Chair (1987-1989), Dean Maloney Writing Competition,    
    Environmental and Land Use Law Section, The Florida Bar 

1985 - 1986, Board Member Gold Coast Section, Florida Chapter, American Planning Association                
    (Member-at-Large, Member of Executive Committee, Chairman of Legislative Committee and By-Law Revision Committee) 
    Member, Kendall 2000; Vice-Chairman, Planning and Zoning Task Force 
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE BEFORE THE FOLLOWING COURTS 

Florida Supreme Court, 1982 

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1985 (Trial Bar, 1991) 

U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 1991 

U.S. Supreme Court, 1994 
LAW AND GRADUATE SCHOOL HONORS AND ACTIVITIES 

1981 - 1982, Articles and Comments Editor, University of Miami Law Review 
    Member, Society of the Wig and Robe 
    Dean's List (every semester law school) 

1980 - 1981, Member, University of Miami Law Review 

1980, American Jurisprudence Book Award: Civil Procedure 

1975 - 1976, National Student Representative, Student Planning Network (national planning student organization) Member, Board of Governors, American Institute of Planners ("A.I.P." - currently the American Planning Association) 

1974 - 1975, Fellowship: Ryder Research Program in Transportation Planning, 
    University of Miami 
PRELAW PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND INTERNSHIPS 

Capital Improvements Division, Office of the County Manager, Miami-Dade County 
    Prepared annual Miami-Dade County Six Year Capital Improvements Program. 
    Served on: Capital Improvements Technical Committee, Site Review Committee, 
    Developmental Impact Committee (DIC), Rapid Transit DIC, Town Hall Meeting Program 

Planning Department, City of Miami 

Planning & Design Division, Department of Housing & Urban Development, Miami-Dade County 

Ryder Research Program in Transportation Planning, University of Miami 

Project INSTEP, Office of Service Programs for the Elderly, Miami-Dade County 

Gary M. Held, Esq., Attorney at Law
T: 305.962.8900 | F: 305.386.4930 | gary@garyheldlaw.com