Government Permitting & Licensing
Jeff Bartel is a Partner on the firm's Government and Regulatory Team with his practice focused on land use and zoning, real estate development and finance, governmental and regulatory affairs, corporate governance and compliance, energy and utility, and private equity and venture capital issues. He has over 25 years of experience in business, law and government – counseling, leading, developing and creating businesses and business opportunities for public and privately-held companies and clients. He has strong C-suite leadership and extensive, multi-faceted experience in driving growth, best practices, and value to stakeholders across the value chain through innovation, operational excellence, performance improvement, financial discipline, and corporate responsibility. Jeff is recognized for his depth and breadth of expertise in management, public-private partnerships, regulatory and government affairs, external and public affairs, and operations – together with his extensive subject-matter knowledge of real estate and real estate finance, land use and development; corporate responsibility, compliance and governance; organizational leadership, innovation and change management; energy and electric utilities; and entrepreneurial ventures and capital markets. In business and in law, Jeff has transformed operations, improved business performance, and created value in dozens of companies and public sector entities. Jeff also heads a private equity and debt firm, Hamptons Group LLC, based in South Florida, focused on capital markets and a diversified class of traditional and alternative assets and venture-oriented investments.
Prior to joining Berger Singerman, Jeff was a senior adviser with a global management consulting and professional services firm, where he served in a strategic role advising clients worldwide on performance improvement, turnaround management, and business advisory services. He also led a privately-held real estate finance and investment company focused on asset-based lending and real estate services. For nearly a decade Jeff was a senior corporate officer and member of the executive leadership and operating teams at the nation’s third largest electric utility, in management roles of progressively increasing responsibility and scope -- including operations, regulatory, compliance, real estate/land use/development, corporate, governmental, regulatory, external and public affairs – with oversight of all business units and divisions across 15,000 employees in 24 states, Canada and Spain. Before that, he was a senior partner at two of Florida's largest law firms, where he chaired their respective land use, environmental, governmental and regulatory departments. Before practicing law, Jeff served as chief of staff in the United States Congress and, prior to that, as the chief aide to the mayor of Miami.
Jeff has been and remains integrally involved in leading organizations, including the boards of many of the region’s and Florida’s most impactful and engaged non-profit organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs) and corporations. Throughout his career, Jeff has been consistently recognized as one of Florida’s most influential leaders, and is the recipient of numerous national and regional leadership awards and professional distinctions for outstanding professional, civic and philanthropic leadership, service and contributions. He also is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer before universities and community organizations on various topics of business, law and government.
Mr. Bartel earned a bachelor’s degree in government cum laude from Harvard University and a law degree with honors from the University of Florida. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s program for senior executives and the Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation.
He is fluent in Spanish and conversational in Italian.
Representative Matters 
Has represented international, national and local clients on a wide array of high-impact commercial, industrial and residential projects across Florida, the Southeast and Latin America, including developments of regional impact, comprehensive land use applications, planned community developments, site specific regulations, other entitlements and development linkages, environmental regulation, property tax issues, campaign finance law, and government contracts. He has also served part-time as city attorney for local municipalities. In addition, Jeff has represented numerous public and private companies and local governments in connection with utility and energy matters including renewable generation, self-generation, franchises, quality of service, and regulatory issues.
Awards & Honors
- Harvard University Outstanding Alumni Contribution Award
- Gold Medal Award, Miami Today
- Financial Services Company of the Year, Beacon Council
- Twelve Good Men in South Florida, Ronald McDonald House Charities
- Distinguished Leader Award, Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- Sunshine State Ethics in Leadership Award, Florida State University College of Business and its Ethics Roundtable
- Humanitarian of the Year Award, March of Dimes Florida Chapter
- Leadership Florida Distinguished Member Award
- South Florida CEO Power Player, Business Leader magazine and South Florida CEO magazines
- Business Leader of the Year, The Beacon Council
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Chambers USA’s America’s Leading Business Attorneys
- Best attorney listings in Florida Monthly, South Florida Business Journal, South Florida Legal Guide and Miami Metro magazine
- Up & Comer Award, South Florida Business Journal
- United States Congressional Award for public service work and volunteerism
- University of Florida Hall of Fame inductee, University of Florida
- Keys to the City of Miami
- South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers, 2017, 2018, 2019
Community Activities / Associations
- Camillus House - Board of Directors
- Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce – Trustee, Board of Governors, Board of Directors
- Orange Bowl Committee
- United Way of Miami-Dade – Tocqueville Society and Leadership Circle, Trustee, Board of Directors, Executive Committee
- Beacon Council of Miami-Dade – Member/Trustee, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Audit & Finance Committee, Intergovernmental Relations chair
- Miami Children’s Museum – Board of Directors, Executive Committee
- Florida Grand Opera – Grand Patron, Lyric Society
- The Strategic Forum – member
- Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – Leadership Committee, Encore Circle, Board of Directors and Executive Committee member
- Florida International University President’s Council – member
- University of Miami Citizens Board – member
- University of Miami School of Business Administration – board of overseers
- Gulliver Schools – Founding member of the Board of Trustees, Past President and Chairman
- The Good Government Initiative – Board of Directors
- Harvard University – Harvard Club of Miami President; Class Chairman, John Harvard Society; Class Committee; Harvard College Schools & Scholarships Committee; Harvard University Special Gifts Committee
- Leadership Florida – Lifetime Member, past Chairman, State Program chair, Leadership Florida Institute chair
- Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce – corporate member-trustee
- MCCJ
- LeRoy Collins Institute – Board of Directors member
- City Year Miami – Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Public Policy Committee chair
- South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee – corporate partnerships representative
- Enterprise Florida -- Board of Directors
- Florida Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors; Leadership Cabinet
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – Life Trustee
- Children’s Movement of Florida – Founding Member
- Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation – Diamond Society
- Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Foundation – Life Trustee
In the News
South Florida Legal Guide Names 21 Berger Singerman Attorneys as Top Lawyers
March 7, 2019
South Florida Legal Guide Names 23 Berger Singerman Attorneys as Top Lawyers
January 9, 2018
South Florida Business Journal: Boynton Beach approves plans for 324 apartments
July 19, 2017
December 4, 2016
Prior Affiliations
- Alvarez & Marsal, LLC – Senior Adviser
- NextEra Energy and its Florida Power & Light Company subsidiary– corporate vice president
- Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. – partner and practice group chair
- Steel Hector & Davis (nka Squire Patton Boggs) – partner and practice group chair
- United States House of Representatives – Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
- City of Miami, Florida – Chief Aide to Mayor Xavier L. Suarez