Tallahassee, Fla. – GrayRobinson, P.A. (GrayRobinson) today announced President and CEO Dean Cannon, Shareholder and General Counsel Mayanne Downs, and U.S. Customs and International Trade Practice Chair Peter A. Quinter were named to the 2020 Florida Trend "Florida 500: Florida’s Most Influential Business Leaders" list in the legal category. This special section of the Florida Trend highlights the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state. The 500 executives are selected based on extensive contacts in regional business circles, multiple interviews, and months of research, culminating in a highly selective biographical guide to the people who "really run Florida." The Florida 500 is the product of a year-long research initiative by the editors of Florida Trend, resulting in a look at Florida’s most influential business leaders across major industries.
Cannon is president and chief executive officer of GrayRobinson. Cannon served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 until 2012, playing pivotal roles in property tax reform, growth management reform, health care and Medicaid reform, and major transportation infrastructure policy initiatives. He was selected by his peers to become Speaker of the House for the 2010 to 2012 term. As chair of the government affairs and lobbying practice at GrayRobinson, Cannon has represented private clients and local government entities on issues, including transportation, education, health care, insurance, and appropriations matters. Cannon has been named a Florida Politician of the Decade by Florida Politics, a Legal Elite in government and administrative law by Florida Trend, and named to the list of Best Lawyers in America.
Downs is general counsel of GrayRobinson and a shareholder in the Orlando law firm office. Downs served as the first woman president and managing director of the firm from 2016 to 2019. She currently serves as the City Attorney for Orlando, the first woman to be appointed, and is a member of the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which disciplines judges. She has held several leadership roles in the legal community, including serving as president of the Orange County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society, the Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers, and the 100,000 member Florida Bar. Downs has been named Lawyer of the Year in bet-the-company litigation by Best Lawyers in America, Top 50 in Orlando by Florida Super Lawyers, and Orlando Business Journal’s CEO of the Year. Additionally, she has been named to Florida Trend’s Hall of Fame.
Quinter is a shareholder in the Boca Raton law firm, Miami law firm, and Fort Lauderdale law firm offices of GrayRobinson. Quinter once served as legal counsel at the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the U.S. Customs Service (now known as U.S. Customs and Border Protection) in Miami. Currently, he represents individuals and companies involved in international trade and commerce. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America (2009-2018, 2020-2021), is ranked in Chambers USA for both Global: International Trade - Customs (2020) and Nationwide: International Trade - Customs (2012-2020), was listed in the 2018-2019 edition of the Who's Who Legal Guide’s Trade and Customs Section, and has been listed in Florida Super Lawyers since 2006.