Over the course of his career in public finance law, Jeff DeCarlo has acted as bond counsel and disclosure counsel, and as issuers’, underwriters’, university, bank, company or developers’ counsel on more than 1,000 bond financings totaling more than $15 billion.

Jeff represents government entities in public finance matters using sophisticated financing techniques, including variable-rate and option bonds, credit enhancement, swaps and other derivative products. He also has significant experience in the federal tax aspects of municipal bond transactions.

The financing projects Jeff has worked on have contributed substantially to Florida’s infrastructure, including airports, seaports, bridges, toll roads, water and sewer systems, electric utilities, parks, convention centers, performing arts centers and other cultural facilities, sports complexes, courthouses, fire and police stations, parking facilities, government centers, stormwater utilities, solid waste facilities, resource recovery facilities, single- and multi-family housing, education (including public and private schools and universities), industrial development.

Other highlights:

• Extensive experience drafting legislation related to bond financing.  Principal draftsman of Florida’s Taxable Bond Act, and was involved in drafting amendments to broaden the bond issuance authority of the Spaceport Florida Authority and the South Florida Water Management District.
• Advises the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on the private use tax aspects of their use of bond proceeds; assists the FDEP in analyzing their private use transactions and developing strategies for identifying and tracking private use.
• Acted as bond counsel for the first property-assessment clean energy (PACE) bond issue in Florida. To date, the PACE District has financed through the issuance of bonds more than $700 million of PACE projects.   Currently acts as bond counsel to the PACE District in connection with the securitization of PACE bonds issued by the District.
• Bond transactions and related financings, including: general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, private activity bonds, lease-purchase financings, certificates of participation, and current and advance re-fundings.

Professional & Community Involvement

• American College of Bond Counsel, Member, 2024-present
• National Association of Bond Lawyers
• Red Book listed

Awards and Recognitions

• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
• Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, 2023-present; Public Finance Law, 2025
• South Florida’s Top Rated Lawyers, Banking & Finance, 2012-2019
• Florida Super Lawyers, 2014-2015

Press Mentions

• For the Frost Science Museum, an ‘Aggressive’ Plan That Failed, Miami Herald, February 17, 2016
• Fla. High Court Affirms $700 M In Clean Energy Bonds, Law360, October 1, 2015

Florida, 1985

Ohio, 1980

Columbia University School of Law, J.D., 1980

• Articles Editor, Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems

Colgate University, B.A., Philosophy, magna cum laude, 1977