Atty. Stephanie Toothaker
Stephanie J. Toothaker, Esq. / Chairwoman & Chief Strategist TOOTHAKER.org Stephanie is a Martindale Hubbell AV rated attorney, and so much more.
Profile Summary
About Stephanie Toothaker at a glance
Stephanie Toothaker is a zoning attorney based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, practicing at Stephanie J. Toothaker. Educated at University of Florida (—, 1997). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Land Use and Zoning Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Transactions / UCC Law (2026). Serands clients in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Stephanie J. Toothaker, Esq. / Chairwoman & Chief Strategist TOOTHAKER.org Stephanie is a Martindale Hubbell AV rated attorney, and so much more
- Regularly recognized as a SuperLawyer and by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, she guides clients with her sophisticated approach to governmental relations and procurement
- Representing private equity firms, innovative companies, and entrepreneurial individuals seeking complex land development entitlements, her specific expertise on these matters is focused on innovative activation of property rights, public/private P3 initiatives, complex mixed use projects, land use plan amendments, zoning modifications and site plan approvals in the commercial, residential, sporting, and hospitality sectors
- Stephanie is an effective advocate at the Federal, State, and regional level, regularly representing clients before governmental entities throughout South Florida
- She is consistently recognized for her unique ability to seamlessly navigate multi-agency processes, efficiently manage the government relations process, and achieve success with aggressive timelines
- Stephanie’s practice also includes niche representation for European-style sporting and destination lifestyle events with worldwide television coverage
- With clients that include David Beckham's InterMiami, Red Bull Global Rallycross, Swatch Volleyball World Championships, Key West Race Week, the Lauderdale Yacht Club and Informa, producer of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show - the largest boat show in the world - and the Monaco, Palm Beach and Miami Boat Show, she has a proven ability to leverage resources and relationships, meet challenging deadlines, and enable profitable outcomes with global reach
- Her impressive understanding of public policy at the nexus of government and private entities has as its foundation her deep experience in the national political arena
- Stephanie served as special counsel to U.S
- Senator Bob Graham, where she was the first female and youngest in history to serve in that capacity
- In 2004, she served on the Kerry-Edwards legal team
- Stephanie was co-lead counsel for Broward County for the Obama-Biden legal team and more recently chaired Gwen Graham's campaign for Governor
- The bottom line is Stephanie delivers serious results
- Under Stephani's leadership, David Beckham’s Inter Miami Lockhart Soccer stadium facility was approved -- and built -- in 13 months, she lead the Tavistock team through approval of the Landmark Pier 66 reimagining, represented Lionheart in their approvals of 1380 South Ocean, the tallest building in Pompano Beach, was responsible for Cymbal Development’s Marina Lofts multi-jurisdictional project, represented Thor’s Beach Place, OTO and later Key Development’s AC Marriott, Summit's Residence Inn by Marriott, Roger Penske’s first-of-it’s-kind South Florida Porsche Concept Dealership, Cordova Boat Club - a $35 million state-of-the-art dry stack marina, led approvals for a 523,000 square foot commercial/industrial park in Davie, is a recognized leader in Medical Marijuana permitting and approval , and was responsible for the State Legislature's landmark legislation amending Florida law to change the legal boundaries of both Broward and Palm Beach Counties
- All cutting edge projects with transformational results
- Stephanie has been a regular contributor to Florida Trend and the South Florida Sun Sentinel, is involved with a broad range of civic organizations throughout South Florida, and is the first woman to serve as a Governor - and Rear and future Commodore - of the Lauderdale Yacht Club founded in 1938
- She was previously a Director and Head of the Land Use & Zoning Practice at Tripp Scott, and a partner with Ruden McClosky and Blosser & Sayfie
Practice Areas Explained
Stephanie Toothaker's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Stephanie Toothaker handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Stephanie Toothaker is one of 40,226 zoning attorneys indexed nationally. Browse zoning attorneys in Florida →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Florida
Practicing law in Florida. Legal matters in Florida are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Fort Lauderdale are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Florida state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Florida brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Florida courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Florida attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Fort Lauderdale or all attorneys in Florida.
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