Ed Martos assists private clients in a wide range of matters before local and regional governments. The focus of his practice involves private land development and zoning matters, where Ed provides inception-to-success legal representation. Ed’s representation of clients often begins with pre-acquisition due diligence and extends through the permitting and legislative processes required to develop a property. During project development, Ed continues to assist clients in obtaining the licenses and permits required to operate the property—including conditional use permits, sign permits, temporary use permits, liquor licenses, and certificates of use and occupancy. He also assists the client in dealing with any environmental issues that might arise. For existing projects seeking to renovate, redevelop or find new uses, Ed helps clients obtain necessary amendments to their existing approvals and licenses. Ed also defends the owners and operators of existing projects in connection with any code enforcement or compliance matters that may arise.
In addition to land development and zoning matters, Ed also leverages his knowledge of local government processes to help clients in government procurement matters. Clients look to Ed to help finalize their initial bid responses to the invitation to bid to ensure that their responses comply with the requirements of the invitation and to examine competitors’ responses for potential flaws and avenues of attack. After their proposals have been filed, Ed represents clients’ interests through the various stages of the selection process. Where competitors attempt to drag successful proposers through the mud, or where politics interfere with the selection process, clients know Ed will roll up his sleeves and hold no punches.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Cuban American Bar Association
- Dade County Bar Association
- American Society for Public Administration Local Chapter
- Leadership Miami Graduate, 2011-2012
Representative Experience
Land Use and Zoning – Major Urban Redevelopment
- Member of legal team that represented one of South Florida’s largest land developers in connection with projects throughout downtown Miami, Brickell, and Coconut Grove.
- Represented a major commercial and hotel developer in applying for and securing development approvals to redevelop four city blocks in Downtown Miami, including a convention center with more than 500,000 square feet of convention space and 1,800 hotel rooms.
- Represented a major multifamily developer in securing development approvals for dozens of multifamily residential developments throughout Miami-Dade County.
- Assisted in amending the City of Miami’s development regulations to encourage mixed-income development and then secured development approvals for the City’s first mixed-income project in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
- Represented a national developer in its efforts to secure approvals for two-phased mixed-use development with almost 800 residential units and commercial uses in Miami’s Midtown neighborhood.
- Helped a prominent nonprofit civic group secure a 9+ acre site plan approval for recreational facilities and charter school.
Luxury Single Family Homes
- Helped a family navigate general neighborhood opposition to new development, tree preservation requirements, and potentially historic preservation requirements in order to secure development approvals for the redevelopment of multiple lots in Coconut Grove as a family compound of three large single-family homes.
- Helped multiple homeowners and families building their dream homes in a prominent South Florida neighborhood, secure county authorization to reduce roadway width and avoid need to dedicate land for road purposes.
Government Affairs
- Represent a major telecommunication infrastructure provider in its efforts to amend local land development regulations to accommodate new stealth telecommunications technology, and then, working with elected officials, City staff, and through engagement with neighbors, helped secure approval for dozens of stealth installations throughout the City over the course of more than five years.
- Represented a national advertiser in its efforts to secure temporary mural permits authorizing commercial signs of up to 10,000 square feet each, and with respect to on-going compliance in highly regulated and competitive Miami market. Then, after years of operations, assisted in lucrative sale of the permits.
Government Procurement
- Represented top-ranked bidder in the public procurement process for the proposed redevelopment of the Miami Beach Convention Center District.
- Represented winning bidder in the public procurement process for the proposed redevelopment of Dinner Key Marina in Miami and the construction of three restaurants at the site.
Environmental
- Represented MAT Concessionaire, LLC and its sponsors, Meridiam Infrastructure Fund and Bouygues Travaux Publics, S.A., in the Port of Miami Tunnel project, one of the first greenfield public-private partnerships in the United States.
- Represented Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) in a joint-venture with Edison Mission Energy to make investments in wind farms located throughout the United States. Edward’s role included conducting due diligence and advising the firm’s client with respect to sources of potential environmental liability at each wind farm.
- Defended Americans with Disability and Fair Housing Act Claims brought against a major national housing provider in federal court, and before state and local anti-discrimination agencies.
Press Mentions
- Aventura Brightline Station Attracts Another Big Apartment Proposal, Bisnow, February 27, 2024
- 18-story residential tower seen as Design District gateway, Miami Today, February 6, 2024
- Miami’s parking conundrum, Axios Miami, May 3, 2023
- Aimco, Newgard and Melo Each Seek to Expand Miami Developments, Commercial Observer, February 14, 2023
