Kent L. Hipp Attorney At Law

Kent is a trial lawyer who has concentrated his practice in eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and property rights since 1991. Kent has handled over 1,000 condemnation parcels, including all types of complex eminent domain cases, representing both property and business owners as well as select condemning authorities on all types of properties and projects throughout the state of Florida. He has represented clients in eminent domain and inverse condemnation cases involving the taking of properties for the following types of projects and matters:

• All types of roads (highways, parkways, expressways, interchanges, bridges, road widenings, etc.)
• Retention and detention ponds
• Railroads
• Commuter rails
• High speed rail
• Power lines (high-voltage transmission and distribution lines)
• Water lines (raw water lines and potable water lines)
• Reclaimed water lines
• Sewer lines
• Natural gas pipelines
• Liquefied natural gas pipelines
• Petroleum products pipelines
• Raw water sources
• Well fields
• Landfills
• Spoil sites
• Public parks and open space
• Rails-to-trails projects
• Conservation areas
• Government buildings
• Parking facilities
• Public schools
• Airports (runway expansions)
• Avigation easements
• Tree-clearing easements
• Citywide water and sewer plants and distribution and collection systems
• Citywide electric distribution systems
• Fiber optic lines
• Flowage easements
• Drainage easements
• Flooding
• River restoration
• Beach erosion
• Regulatory takings
• Exactions

Kent has participated in numerous eminent domain and inverse condemnation proceedings, valuation trials, arbitrations and Bert Harris actions. These matters have ranged in value from a few hundred dollars to over $114 million.

• Background

  Kent grew up in Orlando, where he graduated from Edgewater High School. Kent graduated with honors from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before attending Stetson University College of Law, where he also graduated with honors.

  Before beginning his career with GrayRobinson, Kent served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, U.S. District Court judge and then served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Paul H. Roney, senior and former chief judge of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Education
  • Wake Forest University, B.A. (history, honors, 1987)
    • Pre-Law Society
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity
  • Stetson University College of Law, J.D. (honors, 1990)
    • Research Editor, Law Review
    • Graduated Top 7% of Class
    • Charles A. Dana Scholar
    • Law I, II and III Academic Scholarships
    • Walter Mann Award: Greatest promise of becoming leader in legal profession
    • Who's Who Among American Law Students
• Admissions
  • Florida (1991)
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida 
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida 
  • U.S. Courts of Appeal
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • Florida Supreme Court 
• Professional Associations & Memberships
  • American Bar Association
  • The Florida Bar
    • Eminent Domain Committee, Member
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Association of Eminent Domain Professionals
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Awards & Recognitions
  • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2010-2019
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2021
    • Lawyer of the Year, Eminent Domain and Condemnation, 2014 
  • Orlando Magazine, Best Lawyers, 2007-2009, 2014, 2019
  • Florida Trend, Legal Elite, 2011