EXPERIENCE:

Pete began his legal career in Tallahassee as a State prosecutor. Over the next eight years, he prosecuted numerous cases across North Florida, was twice appointed Special Assistant United States Attorney, and was appointed by Governor Graham as a specially assigned prosecutor throughout the State. During this period, Pete served on the Supreme Court's Rules of Criminal Procedure Committee and chaired the Forfeiture Law Committee of the Florida Bar.

In 1988, Pete was appointed Florida's Statewide Prosecutor. Over the next three years, he focused the newly created Office of Statewide Prosecution on complex white collar crimes including securities fraud, ponzi schemes, insurance fraud and pyramid marketing schemes. Under Pete's leadership, Florida was the only state to successfully extradite Columbian citizens to face drug smuggling charges in a state court.

From 1991 to 1997 Pete served under Attorney General Bob Butterworth as Deputy Attorney General of Florida. In that role, he directed and supervised over 300 lawyers, implementing the Attorney General's Cabinet, Legislative and other policy initiatives. Florida's Attorney General represents virtually every state agency in their day-to-day litigation. Pete also managed and coordinated major state litigation involving, among other things, state lands, antitrust and economic crime cases, health care fraud, elections litigation, and the landmark case against tobacco companies. He was responsible for coordinating the State's legal representation with the Governor's Office, the Florida Legislature, and Cabinet officers.

In 1987 and 2004, Pete represented Governors Graham and Bush respectively, as special prosecuting counsel in the Senate impeachment trials of Supervisors of Elections. From 2001-2005 Pete was a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics. In 2005, Governor Bush appointed Pete to the Second Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. In 2006, Governor Bush appointed Pete to the Governing Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District and he was reappointed in 2008 by Governor Crist. In 2008, Governor Crist appointed Pete to the First District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission.

Pete joined the firm in 2000 and concentrates his practice in the areas of civil litigation, white collar defense, governmental lobbying, and administrative law.

Significant reported cases include:

• NAACP v. Browning, 522 F.3d 1153 (11th Cir. 2008)
• NAACP v. Browning, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62723 (N.D.Fla. June 24, 2008) (injunction denied)
• League of Women Voters v. Browning, 575 F.Supp.2d 1298 (S.D.Fla 2008)
• Cobb v. Thurman, 957 So.2d 638 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006)
• Diaz v. Cobb, 435 F.Supp.2d 1206 (S.D.Fla. 2006)
• Major League Baseball v. Crist, 331 F.3d 1177 (11th Cir. 2003)
• The Justice Coalition v. The First Dist. Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Com'n, 823 So.2d 185 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002)
• Florida ex rel. Crist v. HCA, Inc., 1 Trade Cases P 74,027 (M.D.Fla. 2002)
• In re Advisory Opinion to Atty. Gen. re Authorization for County Voters to Approve or Disapprove Slot Machines Within Existing Pari-Mutuel Facilities, 813 So.2d 98 (Fla. 2002)
• Advance America v. Dept. of Legal Affairs, 801 So.2d 310 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001)

BACKGROUND:

Pete was raised in Hialeah, Florida and received a B.S. in 1970, an M.S. in Health Planning in 1973, and a J.D. in 1979 from Florida State University. He was a public school teacher in Newton, Georgia; a health planner for the Health Planning Council of South Florida; while in law school, interned with the Tourism and Economic Development Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, and clerked for a state trial court judge.

EDUCATION:

• Florida State University, B.S. (1970)
• Florida State University, M.S. (Health Planning, 1973)
• Florida State University, J.D. (1979)

PROFESSIONAL:

• The Florida Bar
• U.S. Supreme Court Bar
• Admitted to practice in the Northern and Middle District Courts of Florida and the Eleventh Circuit Court
• Tallahassee Bar
• First District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission - Vice Chair, 2009
• Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2008