Ted Brown began practicing law in 1968 in Orlando, Florida. Today, his practice is centered on the representation of developers and companies active in land acquisition and development. From 1988 until 1996, he served as Vice President/General Counsel of Arvida Company, a firm engaged in the development of master-planned communities in various markets around the United States. In that capacity, Mr. Brown was responsible for managing the legal affairs of the company and, in particular, the land entitlement and environmental permitting processes. After leaving Arvida, Mr. Brown became a private management consultant assisting companies in the development of strategic plans to ensure environmental and regulatory compliance. He returned to the private practice in late 1997, and on April 17, 2006, Mr. Brown joined the law firm of BakerHostetler where he continues his environmental, land use and real estate development practice primarily for large scale community and resort developers on projects throughout the state of Florida.
Mr. Brown has been rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell. He has consistently been listed by Chambers USA among America’s leading lawyers for business and has been listed as well in Best Lawyers in America (2012 Lawyer of the Year, Environmental), Florida Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in Orlando and Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals.
In addition to his legal, development and management experience, Mr. Brown is a full member of the Urban Land Institute and has served as a member of the National Policy Council, the Environmental Council, the Senior Housing Council and is currently a member of the Community Development Council. He was appointed by Florida Governor Chiles to serve on the Private Property Rights Study Commission II which was tasked with the responsibility of analyzing the interface of regulatory takings and private property rights. Out of that work came the Bert J. Harris Private Property Rights Act. He has served as the co-chair of a statewide Affordable Housing Task Force for the Association of Florida Community Developers and compiled and wrote a book for the Association analyzing affordable housing alternatives and measures to obtain the same. Mr. Brown is a member of the Regional Board of the James Madison Institute and serves on the Florida Tax Watch Streamlining Regulation Task Force.
He has served as President of the Foundation for Environmental and Economic Progress, a coalition of land development companies with land holdings in 44 states that are seeking to make the Section 404 wetlands program and the Endangered Species Act operational protocols more balanced. In that capacity, he has testified before the Water Resources Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Environment and Public Works Committee of the U.S. Senate on the reauthorization of both the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. He also served as vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Endangered Species Act Study Committee and is a member of the Environmental Law Institute. Recently, Mr. Brown has served as a member of the Steering Committee for the Forum on Clean Water Law, an invitation-only collaboration of the top clean water act attorneys from around the nation. He is a frequent lecturer and author for conferences and symposiums on the issues surrounding development and environmental permitting. Recent subjects include:
Professional Memberships and Activity
5/24/2013 - Chambers and Partners Recognizes 84 BakerHostetler Lawyers: Named a Leading Firm in 20 Practice Areas
12/7/2012 - 173 BakerHostetler Attorneys Named 2012 Super Lawyers; 55 Named Rising Stars
9/17/2012 - “Best Lawyers in America” Recognizes 127 BakerHostetler Attorneys: Eleven Named “Lawyer of the Year”