Andy Bardos Attorney At Law

Skillful and engaged government litigator with extensive state agency defense and appellate experience. Former special counsel to the president of the Florida Senate. 

Andy Bardos represents public and private clients in high-profile litigation and appeals, with an emphasis on complex and constitutional claims. Practicing at the intersection of law and politics with extensive state agency defense experience, Andy advises clients on wide-ranging matters, including government law and regulation, health care, and higher education. Notable representations include the Florida Department of State and Supervisors of Elections, Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, Florida Legislature, the State of Florida, and several Florida state colleges and universities.

Andy’s fully embedded experience includes the defense of Florida’s election laws, redistricting litigation, constitutional challenges to legislative appropriations, and litigation brought by the United States Department of Justice. Andy was a member of the legal team representing former Governor Rick Scott and the National Republican Senatorial Committee during post-election recounts and recount-related litigation in the race for the United States Senate. In his post-trial practice, Andy is dedicated to the art of appellate advocacy.

Before joining GrayRobinson, Andy served as special counsel to the president of the Florida Senate, where he assisted in the development of legislation, including reforms of the State’s pill-mill laws and Medicaid program. He also served as the policy coordinator for the Judiciary Committee, the Health Regulation Committee, and the Ethics and Elections Subcommittee. In addition, Andy served as general counsel to the Committee on Reapportionment, coordinating the Senate’s redistricting process, including state-court litigation and preclearance by the United States Department of Justice. Andy frequently teams with GrayRobinson colleagues across the firm to inform case strategies and provide robust counsel for public and private clients facing complicated legal challenges.

• Notable Work
  • Represented five non-party state legislators in a proceeding to quash deposition subpoenas on the basis of legislative privilege. Common Cause Florida v. Byrd, --- F. Supp. 3d ----, No. 4:22-cv-00198, 2023 WL 3676796 (N.D. Fla. May 25, 2023).
  • Represented county Supervisor of Elections in defense of the constitutionality of a candidate qualifying statute. People’s Party of Florida v. Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, 608 F. Supp. 3d 1195 (M.D. Fla. 2022), aff’d, No. 22-12451, 2022 WL 3657210 (11th Cir. Aug. 25, 2022).
  • Represented The Florida House of Representatives in a proceeding to determine the validity of Florida’s newly enacted state legislative districts. In re: Senate Joint Resolution of Legislative Apportionment 100, 334 So. 3d 1282 (Fla. 2022).
  • Represented Florida Prepaid in an appeal from a challenge under Florida’s Administrative Procedure Act to three agency rules that establish an administrative process for the resolution of contract disputes. Florida Prepaid College Board v. Intuition College Savings Solutions, LLC, 330 So. 3d 93 (Fla. 1st DCA 2021).
  • Represented The Agency for Health Care Administration in a federal-preemption challenge to Florida’s Medicaid third-party liability statute. Gallardo v. Dudek, 963 F.3d 1167 (11th Cir.), reh’g denied, 977 F.3d 1366 (11th Cir. 2020).
  • Represented The National Rifle Association in opposition to the placement of a proposed state constitutional amendment on the general election ballot. Advisory Opinion to the Attorney General re: Prohibits Possession of Defined Assault Weapons, 296 So. 3d 376 (Fla. 2020).
  • Represented Sarasota County in a challenge to its county-commission redistricting plan. Atkins v. Sarasota County, 457 F. Supp. 3d 1226 (M.D. Fla. 2020).
  • Represented The Agency for Health Care Administration against an Olmstead action to compel an increase in enrollment in Florida’s long-term care managed care program. Alexander v. Mayhew, 451 F. Supp. 3d 1293 (N.D. Fla. 2020).
  • Represented The Agency for Health Care Administration in opposition to class certification in an Olmstead action under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Alexander v. Mayhew, 334 F.R.D. 626 (N.D. Fla. 2020).
  • Represented third-party claims administrator of an ERISA plan on a motion to dismiss five state and federal claims. Gardi v. United Healthcare Services, Inc., 437 F. Supp. 3d 1188 (S.D. Fla. 2020).
  • Represented The Florida Legislature in defense of the constitutionality of 185 appropriations worth more than $420 million. Oliva v. Florida Wildlife Federation, Inc., 281 So. 3d 531 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019).
  • Represented The Agency for Health Care Administration in a putative class action that challenged state Medicaid policies under three federal statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. A.R. v. Secretary Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, 769 F. App’x 718 (11th Cir. 2019).
  • Represented Florida Prepaid against a claim that prepaid college plans cover Florida’s tuition fee differential. Snyder v. Florida Prepaid College Board, 269 So. 3d 586 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019).
  • Represented The Florida Legislature in defense of an action to compel the appropriation of more than $1 billion to fund four matching-grant programs. Corcoran v. Geffin, 250 So. 3d 779 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018).
• Recognition
  • Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2023
  • Florida Trend, Legal Elite, Appellate Practice, 2019, 2021
• Insights
  • “Introduction to Redistricting Law,” Florida House of Representatives Redistricting Committee, November 2021
  • “Recent Election Litigation,” 44th Annual Local Government Law in Florida Seminar, April 2021
• Media
  • "Florida Lawmakers Win Round in Congressional Redistricting Fight," Daily Business Review, June 6, 2023
  • "Lawmakers Win Round in Redistricting Fight," News Service of Florida, June 5, 2023
  • “Judge refuses pleas to reconsider earlier environmental spending ruling,” Politico, September 19, 2022
  • “Fla. Justices Won’t Hear Gov.’s Query On Redistricting, Race,” Law360, February 10, 2022
  • “Florida Governor Exits Challenge To Ban On Trans Athletes,” Law360, February 2, 2022
  • “Manatee County narrows redistricting options ahead of vote,” Herald-Tribune, December 8, 2021
  • “Democrats keep raising the issue of prison gerrymandering. What’s that mean for redistricting?” Florida Politics, November 4, 2021
  • “Democrats’ push for political parity in redistricting irks House committee chair,” Florida Phoenix, November 2, 2021
  • “Florida’s Redistricting Process Can’t Intentionally Favor One Party, Only By Accident,” Florida Politics, November 2, 2021
  • “DeSantis’ Attorneys Defend Law That Keeps Transgenders Out of Girls Sports,” Legal Newsline, August 31, 2021
  • “Fla. Argues Challenge To Trans Athlete Ban Is Unripe,” Law360, August 24, 2021
  • “FDOC ‘Disagrees’ With Federal Probe That Found Pattern Of Sexual Abuse At Lowell Prison,” WMFE, February 2021
  • “State Disputes Report On Prison Sexual Abuse,” News Service of Florida, February 2021
  • “State, Plaintiffs Tout Vote-by-Mail Settlement,” News Service of Florida, July 2020
  • “Judge Rules Sarasota County Redistricting Legal, New Lines Stand for 2020,” Florida Politics, May 2020
  • “Judge Rules Sarasota County Redistricting Legal, New Lines Stand for 2020,” Sayfie Review, May 2020
  • “Sarasota County May Seek Court Costs in Redistricting Lawsuit,” Herald-Tribune, May 2020
  • “Sarasota County Will Go After Plaintiffs In Redistricting Case To Recover Court Costs,” Herald-Tribune, May 2020
  • “Sarasota County Wants to be Reimbursed for Costs of Redistricting Lawsuit,” Herald-Tribune, May 2020
  • “Sarasota County Responds in Redistricting Litigation,” SUN Englewood, January 2020
  • “Dismissal Sought in Redistricting Litigation,” SUN Englewood, January 2020
  • “Fla. High Court Urged To Review Use Of Land Buying Funds,” Law360, November 2019
  • “Gun Rights Groups, Moody Target Assault Weapons Ban,” WCTV, November 2019
  • “Environmentalists, State Wrangle Over Conservation Spending,” WJCT, July 2019
  • “Florida Continues Fight with Environmentalists Over Conservation Spending,” Tampa Bay Times, July 2019
  • “Fla. Says Land Buying Funds Can Go To Other Enviro Uses,” Law360, July 2019
  • “Florida Prepaid ‘Tuition Differential Fee’ Doesn’t Entitle Out-Of-State Students to Tuition ‘Windfall:’ Appeals Panel,” Florida Record, March 2019
  • “Deja Vu: Recount Veterans Back At It In Florida,” Law360, November 2018
  • “Rick Scott Files Recount Lawsuit Against Hillsborough Elections Supervisor,” Florida Politics, November 2018
  • “Dems Up the Ante As Fla. Recount Litigation Piles Up,” Law360, November 2018
  • “Big Law Mustering for Suit Over Florida Recount in Race Between Rick Scott and Bill Nelson,” Law.com, November 2018
• Affiliations
  • The Federalist Society
  • Judicial Nominating Commission, Fifth District Court of Appeal, 2018-2022
• Credentials
  • L.L.M., University of Florida, 2005
    • Graduate Research Assistant to Professor Lawrence Lokken
  • J.D., University of Florida, 2004, magna cum laude
    • Florida Law Review Accomplished Research Award
  • B.A., University of Central Florida, 2000, cum laude
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida
  • U.S. Supreme Court