Ronald A. Shapo is a senior counsel in Holland & Knight's Miami office. Mr. Shapo represents clients in billions of dollars in transactions and projects. Mr. Shapo’s commercial concentrations are real estate, land use, construction and governmental services. In addition, he utilizes extensive litigation experience in commercial and governmental disputes, including cases of first impression and numerous multimillion dollar awards.
Business and Finance

In the area of business and finance, Mr. Shapo brings clients perspectives gained from more than 35 years of experience as counsel to numerous corporations, banks, and savings and loans, and service as an institutional director. He serves businesses in the negotiation and preparation of a wide range of commercial agreements. He has also assists clients in numerous purchases, sales, mergers and joint ventures. He served as general corporate counsel for a $500 million South Florida bank and as special Florida counsel in connection with the bank’s $175 million sale.
Real Estate/Land Use

Mr. Shapo represents owners, developers, investors and lenders on real estate and construction projects ranging from high rise condominiums and hotels to planning and implementation of large-scale residential and commercial developments. He also served as special counsel to obtain developer releases on a $230 million residential/commercial project.

He has handled annexation projects, including the largest in Cooper City (Broward County), expanding the city by 25 percent. For many years, Mr. Shapo served as lead counsel to club members and residents for development and operational issues raised at the exclusive Fisher Island project in Miami-Dade County.

He has provided real estate and land use representation in a number of counties and municipalities throughout Florida and across the United States. His services have included Florida Developments of Regional Impact for office complexes and for residential projects, allowing up to 6,700 units, together with substantial commercial activity; and a 2,000-acre residential/resort development in Texas. In various Florida communities, he has represented developers in applications to uphold vested rights for developments, both large (1,100 and 1,700 units) and small. Land use approvals include several golf course developments; reversing intense neighborhood opposition to a hotel in a prime residential community; permitting major expansions or redevelopment of oceanfront hotels and a regional hospital; and allowing development in areas with historic preservation concerns (including new residential uses and reconstruction of damaged commercial facilities).
Litigation

From the outset of his career, Mr. Shapo has been an active litigator, serving as counsel in the prosecution and defense of a variety of significant and often novel business issues. Examples of his litigation efforts include a multimillion dollar federal securities class action settlement; a million dollar accounting malpractice settlement for bank trustees; the first known federal ruling in enjoining Florida's mechanic's lien law; a multimillion dollar arbitration order in a dispute between a contractor and local governments; an injunction termed the first of its kind against FDIC suspension of bank officers and directors; the first known ruling of a private right of action under the New York Stock Exchange "Know Your Customer" rule; and multimillion dollar dealer reinstatements in a federal anti-trust action.
Construction

Mr. Shapo has provided counsel to numerous construction firms, including local companies and international contractors. Projects are as diverse as residential construction, schools, airport runways, water/sewer, highway improvements, racetracks and major power plants. Notable examples of construction contracts for which he has served as counsel include a $700 million resource recovery plant, securitization of a complex $90 million LNG plant in the Dominican Republic and as counsel to the benefactor of a $150 million performing arts center.
Governmental Services

Mr. Shapo's governmental services include a large number of municipal and county contract awards. Several have involved Public Private Partnerships. In addition to representing clients in obtaining the awards, he often negotiates and drafts the detailed provisions of the contracts. Noteworthy examples include representation of proposers for the debris disposal contract for Hurricane Andrew ($50+ million); an intensely contested telecommunications contract at Miami International Airport ($50+ million); construction and the initial 20-year operating contract for Broward County's resource recovery plants (a $700 million project); construction of Homestead Motorsports and Racetrack (site of final NASCAR "chase" race); planning and financing of PGA signature golf courses (on county land); selection of bond underwriters; the largest single disposal contract in the United States (Sarasota); an airport runway contract ($109 million); the tallest building approved in Sarasota; and the then largest school construction contract ($60+ million) in Miami-Dade. He also serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the non-profit corporation developing and operating a major sports/event project and facility.
Bid Protests

Mr. Shapo has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending a wide variety of bid protests, including solid waste and copying, telecommunications, seaport development, airport and school construction, bond underwriting and contaminated materials removal. He also served as special counsel to Miami Dade's Aviation Department for its retail feasibility study.
Arbitration

He has also served as an arbitrator of complex and sensitive commercial disputes, including arbitrations involving tens of millions of dollars of contract disputes between the private waste system operator and 23 Massachusetts' communities, and a multimillion dollar claim against the Puerto Rican Phone Company.
Solid Waste Disposal

Mr. Shapo provides extensive services to companies involved in the solid waste disposal and resource recovery industries. Perhaps most notable of these services was the $700 million project involving two separate resource recovery facilities, which was highly complex and one of the largest public works projects in South Florida. He has also served as counsel regarding many other solid waste and co-generation issues, including composting, sludge disposal, power contracts, recycling, hauling and violations.

Mr. Shapo is a member of the American Arbitration Association's National Roster of Neutrals, and a Florida Certified Circuit Court Mediator. He has a long history of involvement in numerous civic activities, both in Miami-Dade and Sarasota. His background as an accountant and businessman provides valuable insight into the perspectives and needs of clients. Mr. Shapo has had an AV Martindale Hubbell rating for over 35 years.