Overview

Lawrence N. Curtin is a partner in Holland & Knight's Tallahassee office. He has practiced environmental and administrative law since 1978. He represents and counsels clients on a variety of matters in the environmental area. Since beginning his environmental practice, he has been involved in the implementation of a number of important regulatory statutes, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as well as the development and implementation of Florida's environmental and growth management laws. His practice involves participation in legislative activities, the formulation of rules and regulatory policies, and administrative and civil litigation involving permitting, enforcement, and hazardous waste matters.

Mr. Curtin has extensive experience in the permitting of major industrial facilities in Florida. He has been the lead counsel for electric utilities and cogenerators in licensing the construction and operation of large coal and gas-fired generating stations and transmission lines. He has also represented a number of companies engaged in chemical manufacturing and mining in the siting of complex industrial facilities, and the preparation and issuance of required environmental impact statements under various federal statutes. He has worked extensively with the United States Army Corps of Engineers in dredge and fill permitting and enforcement matters.

Mr. Curtin serves as legislative counsel to individual clients and regularly appears before committees of the Florida Legislature on matters of importance to the business community. He has been active in the Legislature since 1984. Since beginning his legislative practice, Mr. Curtin has been involved in the formulation of all major pieces of environmental legislation, including wetlands regulation; the combination of the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Regulation into the Department of Environmental Protection; the combination of the dredge and fill and management and storage of surface water permitting resulting in the environmental resource permit; and a variety of other air, water and solid waste initiatives. He has been involved heavily in recent legislative initiatives addressing issues relating to water use and supply in Florida.

Mr. Curtin writes extensively and speaks frequently on matters involving administrative and environmental law. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Curtin served as law clerk to the Honorable William Stafford, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Florida.

Representative Experience

Credentials

Education
  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D.
  • Florida State University, B.S., with honors
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Court Admissions
  • All State Courts in Florida
Memberships
  • The Florida Bar, Administrative and Environmental and Land Use Law Section
  • The Florida Bar, Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee
  • American Bar Association Natural Resources Law, Litigation and Corporate, Business and Banking Sections
  • Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists
  • The Florida Bar, Energy Law Committee, former Chair
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental, Natural Resources Law, 1995-2025
  • Who's Who Legal: Florida, Environment, 2020
  • Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Environment, 2008-2024
  • Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyers magazine, May 2009
  • Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend magazine, 2007-2009
  • Leading Florida Attorneys
  • Law Review
  • Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2006-2021
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated

Publications