Jerrod D. Simpson, B.C.S. Attorney At Law

Board-certified real estate attorney advising public and private sector clients on land use matters in major development and infrastructure projects. Trusted advisor for complex zoning, code enforcement, and development approval matters, supporting capital improvement and utility projects through procurement, construction contracting, and regulatory guidance.

Board-certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, Jerrod Simpson advises public sector clients on complex land use, development, and regulatory matters across municipal government and utility operations. His work centers on real estate, land use, and construction, guiding projects from initial entitlement and board review through closing, procurement, construction, and closeout. Jerrod has served in senior legal roles for the cities of Tampa, Lakeland, and Clearwater, where he acted as board and senior staff counsel to planning, zoning, historic preservation, natural resources, and code compliance authorities on high-impact matters involving development rights and regulatory enforcement.

Jerrod brings years of experience to his municipal government practice, advising public works and utilities departments on project delivery methods and related procurement issues. He drafts and negotiates agreements for the design and construction of multimillion dollar vertical and horizontal projects and guides clients through bid selection, protest, award, and execution phases, helping to ensure projects stay on time and on budget. He negotiates and drafts project-specific contracts, and modifies industry templates, including AIA, DBIA, ConsensusDocs, and FARBAR forms. He also advises clients on real estate transactions tied to major developments, from complex, multi-layered purchase and sale agreements and title clearing, to environmental due diligence and development agreement compliance for residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects.

In addition to land use, construction, and environmental regulatory counsel, Jerrod handles litigation and appellate matters related to development rights and constitutional and administrative challenges, including high stakes environmental enforcement matters. Known for his informed and versatile skillset across disciplines, Jerrod works with members of the GrayRobinson real estate, construction, and government affairs and lobbying teams to support clients’ high-stakes development and infrastructure priorities.

• Notable Work
  • North American Towers, LLC v. City of Lakeland, Case No. 8:20-cv-3006-VMC-AAS: Obtained a favorable verdict in defense of a municipality’s decision regarding a cellular tower application.
  • Represented a public sector client in the successful sale and redevelopment of city-owned land valued at $20 million. Assisted with drafting transaction documents and coordinating the closing, helping advance a mixed-use development project with an estimated construction value exceeding $200 million.
  • Prosecuted a series of illegal land clearing enforcement actions resulting in more than $200,000 in assessed fines and environmental mitigation measures.
• Insights
  • "The Legal Aspects of Enforcing Local Business Tax," The Florida Association of Business Tax Professionals Conference, May 26-29, 2026
  • "It’s Been There Forever!" Equity and Nonconformity in Code Enforcement, International Municipal Lawyers Association Conference, Atlanta, GA, September 2019
• Affiliations
  • The Florida Bar
    • City, County and Local Government Law Section
    • Environmental and Land Use Law Section
    • Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association
• Credentials
  • J.D., Western Michigan University Law School, 2015, cum laude
    • Certificate of Concentration in Intellectual Property Law
    • Law Review, Assistant Editor
  • B.A., University of South Florida, 2012
  • Board-certified by The Florida Bar in Real Estate Law
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit