BIRCHFIELD & HUMPHREY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Florida Legal Elite and Has Been Selected to the Florida Super Lawyers
After graduating from Florida State University in 1986 with a B.S. in Real Estate, Bruce began his career as a commercial real estate appraiser in Orlando. During the decade that he practiced as an appraiser, Bruce amassed invaluable experience and knowledge relating to property valuation and the Florida real estate market which has been instrumental in his eminent domain and land use practice. He entered Stetson University College of Law in the fall of 1996 concentrating his studies on real estate and trial litigation. He received his Juris Doctor degree in December 1998 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in April 1999.
Before forming Birchfield & Humphrey with W.O. Birchfield in 2004, Bruce practiced with Brigham Moore, LLP. At Brigham Moore, he concentrated his practice on the representation of Florida property owners in eminent domain and property rights matters becoming a partner in 2003.
Throughout his extensive career, Bruce has had the privilege of representing Florida property owners in every stage of the eminent domain process from pre-condemnation planning to initial offer to trial and appeal. He has represented individuals and businesses in a variety of complex condemnation cases involving issues such as loss of access, severance damages and business damages. Bruce has tried eminent domain cases in state court in Duval, St. Johns, Pasco and Lake counties, and has represented clients in the Florida counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Washington, Leon, Gilchrist, Putnam, Nassau, Clay, Columbia, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Lee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Dade.
Bruce has remained licensed as a State-Certified General Appraiser and continues to be a Member of the Appraisal Institute where he earned the MAI designation. He is a member of the Florida Bar Eminent Domain Committee, the Jacksonville Bar Association and the Urban Land Institute. In addition to Florida state court, he is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Since 2010, Bruce has been recognized annually by Florida Trend as a member of the Florida Legal Elite and has been selected to the Florida Super Lawyers list every year from 2010-2018 in the Eminent Domain practice area. He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Seasoned Eminent Domain Attorney
Born and raised in North Florida, Lauren attended the University of Florida where she earned a B.A. in 2001 and J.D. in 2005. While in law school, Lauren studied International Law at Leiden University in the Netherlands and clerked at the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Administrative Law Judges in Washington D.C. Lauren was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2005.
Prior to joining Birchfield & Humphrey, Lauren acquired substantial litigation experience at the State Attorney's Office in Jacksonville, FL where she prosecuted felony crimes, obtained significant jury trial experience, and developed a passion for litigation. Following her time with the State Attorney's Office, Lauren practiced with a private North Florida law firm focused on Environmental and Land Use Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law and General Litigation.
Since 2013, Lauren has concentrated her practice in the areas of eminent domain and inverse condemnation law. She has extensive experience in all aspects of condemnation litigation from the initial filing of an eminent domain case to motion practice, mediation, trial and appeal. For 5 years, Lauren served as an Assistant General Counsel representing the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Two in all phases of right-of-way acquisition, eminent domain proceedings and defense of inverse condemnation claims. Her experience representing FDOT has provided Lauren with unique insights regarding the right-of-way process and eminent domain proceedings from the government's perspective.
In addition to her litigation practice, Lauren has served as a Special Magistrate for a small North Florida town from 2012-2019. Lauren was a Faculty Speaker at the 2016 Eminent Domain Institute/CLE International Eminent Domain Conference and was invited to conduct a mock mediation at the Winter 2017 International Right of Way Chapter 26 Conference in Tampa, FL. She is admitted to practice in Florida state court and the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Lauren is a member of the Florida Bar Eminent Domain Committee, the Jacksonville Bar Environmental & Real Property Law Committee, and the Florida Association of Women Lawyers.