News & Insights
Berger Singerman Expands Government and Regulatory Team with Colin Mark Roopnarine, Former General Counsel at the Florida Office of Financial Regulation
August 31, 2016
Veteran attorney brings nearly 20 years of experience of Florida regulatory counsel to Tallahassee office
TALLAHASSEE, FL – September 1, 2016 – Berger Singerman, Florida’s business law firm, is pleased to announce that Colin Mark Roopnarine has joined the firm as a partner on the Government and Regulatory Team. With more than 20 years of experience as regulatory counsel for five government agencies and strong, long-standing professional relationships with the private and public sectors in Tallahassee, Roopnarine will bolster the firm’s already strong Government and Regulatory practice team.
“Berger Singerman is highly regarded in Florida, and the firm’s attorneys have earned strong reputations for their passionate client service and results obtained for their clients. I have always been impressed with how they have conducted themselves in matters before the agencies with which I have been involved,” says Roopnarine. “I am very excited to join Berger Singerman. The depth of the firm’s talent is extraordinary and the collaborative culture is genuine, which was important for my decision to join Berger Singerman.”
Roopnarine’s wealth of experience across government agencies includes his most recent post as General Counsel at the Florida Office of Financial Regulation where he provided legal guidance to executive leadership and management personnel, and represented the division in matters including human resources/personnel, public records law compliance, contracting, ethics and legal actions against the agency and its employees. This is in addition to managing matters in relation to department contracts, proposed legislation, administrative rules and more.
Earlier, during his tenure at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Roopnarine served as the Deputy General Counsel of Professional Regulation for program enforcement activities, directing the legal work of all construction, professions, and real estate attorneys. His deep insight and knowledge was compiled into litigation manuals, which have since been distributed to other state agencies for use and reference, all while developing CLE Litigation Training Programs.
Prior to that, Roopnarine served as a Hearing Officer for the Public Employees Relations Commission where he functioned as an Administrative Law Judge for labor and employment cases. His past experience also includes working with Florida’s Department of Financial Services and Department of Community Affairs.
“Colin’s incredible experience and substantial knowledge of working directly with government offices and agencies will enhance the services we can offer to our clients, while also allowing us to more effectively advance their interests in administrative and regulatory matters,” said Paul Steven Singerman, Co-Chair of Berger Singerman. “He joins other recent high-profile hires, including the former United States District Attorney for the Northern District of Florida and the President of the Venezuelan American National Bar Association. This growth is a testament to our entrepreneurial spirit, and we are thrilled to welcome Colin to our team.”
An “AV-Rated Preeminent” attorney by Martindale Hubbell, Roopnarine has also been honored with inclusion in Florida Trends’ Legal Elite list from 2014 to 2016. He’s dedicated to mentoring and educating the next generation of up-and-coming attorneys as an adjunct professor and frequent speaker at the Florida State University College of Law. Additionally, Roopnarine is an active member of the CLE Committee for The Florida Bar’s Administrative Law Section, and the 2016 Chair of the Board Certification Committee for State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice, an area in which he has been board certified since 2007. He is past-President of the Florida Government General Counsels’ Association, and was also appointed to the 2nd Judicial Circuit’s Professional Committee in 2012 and remains active on the committee.
Roopnarine earned his J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law, and his B.S. degree with graduate work from the University of South Florida.
