John Quick is an innovative and creative thinker who is both a local government attorney and a litigator. In his role as city attorney for municipal clients, John handles land use and zoning matters, statutory and code interpretation issues, ethics concerns, taxation and budget matters, special assessments, police and fire issues, disability accommodations, public development and historic preservation.
John’s trial practice experience includes contract disputes, business torts, real estate and construction litigation, bankruptcy and other creditor’s rights issues, maritime and aviation litigation, banking and secured transactions, and employment-related litigation before federal and state courts, as well as mediation and arbitration. John’s appellate practice includes cases before the Florida Supreme Court, Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, and United States Circuit Courts of Appeals. John also handles international litigation, involving the laws of multiple foreign jurisdictions.
John’s insights as a former in-house corporate counsel for Royal Caribbean Cruises inform his current work. At Royal Caribbean, he represented the company’s subsidiary brands in matters involving bankruptcy and creditor’s rights, shipboard and land-based employment and labor defense, premises liability defense, privacy law, intellectual property, and international law. John partnered with Royal Caribbean’s revenue and accounting departments to implement strategies and programs to capture and manage potential lost revenue.
Civically, John is a passionate advocate for enhanced community relations and improvement of our society and holds leadership positions in numerous organizations dedicated to those issues. He is Chair of the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board, is President of the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, and served on the Miami-Dade County Commission’s 2020 Census Task Force.
John serves as Independent Counsel to the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel, which oversees civilian complaints against police officers. As one of only a few attorneys in Florida to serve as a civilian oversight practitioner, John was recognized as a Certified Practitioner of Oversight by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. One of John’s most significant litigation victories resulted in the Florida Supreme Court upholding the validity of civilian oversight of law enforcement in the face of a constitutional challenge. This unanimous decision freed local governments impacted by a previous adverse appellate decision to resume operation of civilian oversight agencies.
John is a Past President of the Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library and in 2014 brought together community leaders to form the Coalition to Save Our Libraries. His efforts ultimately resulted in an increase of the annual library budget from $30 million to $54.4 million, putting an end to four years of budget reductions and marking a turnaround for the library system. Under John’s leadership, the Coalition successfully increased the library’s budget each year for a total increase of almost $35 million, thus expanding the library’s offerings.
John is a Past Chair of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Historical Society and served on the Board of Trustees for HistoryMiami. John was also previously appointed by the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners to serve on its Parks & Recreations Citizens’ Advisory Committee and was appointed by the Village of Palmetto Bay to serve on its Charter Revision Committee. John was also instrumental in the Town of Cutler Bay’s incorporation.
John has been quoted in the Huffington Post, Associated Press, Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel. He has appeared on NPR, Bloomberg Radio, Sirius XM, WPLG and WLRN.
John has also undertaken pro bono representation of individuals in criminal, probate and family law matters.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Miami-Dade County 2020 Census Task Force, 2019
- Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board, Chair, 2018-2023; First Vice Chair, 2017-2018; Board Member, 2016-present
- Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library, President, 2012-2014; Vice President, 2011-2012, 2023-present; Board of Trustees, 2009-2018, 2021-present
- The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, President, 2018-2021; Board of Trustees, 2017-2022
- Miami-Dade County Parks & Recreations Citizens’ Advisory Committee, Member, 2015-2017
- Eleventh Judicial Circuit Historical Society, Chair, 2015-2016; Vice-Chair, 2014-2015; Secretary, 2014; Board of Trustees, 2011-2019
- Village of Palmetto Bay Charter Review Committee, Member, 2015-2016
- Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for the Miami-Dade Public Library System, Member, 2013- 2014
- HistoryMiami, Secretary, 2011-2014, 2015-2016; Treasurer, 2014-2015; Board of Trustees, 2009-2016; Education Chair, 2010-2014; Audit Chair, 2014-2016
- Flagler Street Society, Chair, 2007-2009; Member, 2005-2009
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized for his work as past president by the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, 2023
- Daily Business Review, Unsung Hero, 2022
- South Florida Business & Wealth 2021, Social Impact, 2021
- South Florida Legal Guide
- Top Lawyer, 2019 – present
- Top Up and Comer, 2015-2018
- Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2009-2011, 2014-2017
- South Florida Business & Wealth, Up and Comer Finalist, 2016 & 2017
- South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers, 2016
- Sun Sentinel Top Workplace Professionals, 2016
- South Florida Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2015
- Miami-Dade County League of Cities, President’s Community Service Award, 2014
- Daily Business Review, Rising Stars 40 Under 40, 2014
- Florida Library Association, Friends, Foundations & Boards Outstanding Member Award, 2014
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up and Comer, 2007-2010
Representative Experience
- Successfully defended multiple Bert J. Harris Act claims on behalf of municipalities.
- Successfully defended a Miami-Dade municipality in an alleged First Amendment violation.
- Successfully defended the development of a large mixed use project in South Miami-Dade anchored by one of the largest retailers in the state.
- Successfully enforced the ownership rights of a large, multi-building condominium association.
- Successfully defended multinational corporate manufacturer of breath-alcohol testing instruments used by Florida law enforcement against declaratory judgment action challenging corporation’s ownership of intellectual property associated with the instruments.
- Successfully represented a large bank in a series of multimillion dollar commercial foreclosures of hotel properties throughout the United States.
- Successfully represented a large international shipping company in a $5 million arbitration claim against a former shipping agent.
- Successfully defended dozens of municipalities throughout Florida against a challenge to the home venue privilege.
- Successfully prosecuted pension forfeiture matters against police and firefighters engaged in felonious behavior.
- Successfully enforced contractual mining rights against both corporate defendant and environmental regulators.
- Successfully asserted a constitutional challenge to a municipal ordinance precluding a private country club from fencing its property.
- Successfully opposed a competitive bid challenge concerning a municipality’s stormwater system.
- Successfully defended a constitutional challenge to a municipal charter provision allowing for appointment of official to fill vacancy on elected body.
- Successfully challenged a statewide ballot question as unconstitutional, invalidated an unconstitutional statute , and upheld the constitutional powers granted to various government officials.