Shepard, Smith, Hand & Brackins P.A.

Shepard, Smith, Hand & Brackins, P.A., founded in March 2008 and headquartered in Maitland, Florida, is a full-service legal firm renowned for its distinguished focus on local government, municipal law, and a wide array of commercial practice areas. The firm has grown from representing a single municipality to serving as general counsel for numerous cities, towns, and villages across Florida. Our history reflects a commitment to excellence, with all shareholders achieving Florida Bar Board Certification in City, County, and Local Government Law—a distinction held by fewer than 7% of attorneys statewide. Several of our attorneys were recognized amongst the Best Lawyers in America®, Florida Super Lawyers, and Florida Legal Elite, delivering responsive, client-focused legal representation across Florida and beyond.

• Local Government Law — Serving as city, town, and village attorneys, providing governance counsel, drafting ordinances, resolutions, and advising on Sunshine Law compliance, ethics, and charter review.
• Appellate Law — Handling appeals in Florida District Courts, the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, ensuring strong advocacy and strategic briefing.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution & Mediation — Offering mediation and arbitration services to resolve disputes efficiently, leveraging deep subject-matter expertise.
• Business Litigation — Representing businesses in contract disputes, shareholder issues, and commercial conflicts, focusing on cost-effective resolutions.
• Commercial Litigation — Managing complex commercial cases, including multi-party and class actions, with tailored litigation strategies.
• Construction Defect Litigation — Defending developers, contractors, and design professionals in construction defect claims, lien disputes, and related litigation.
• Green Building (LEED) — Advising on sustainable development, certification, and compliance for green building projects, led by a LEED® Accredited Professional.
• Homeowner & Condominium Association Law — Counseling associations on governance, compliance, and dispute resolution.
• Insurance Defense — Defending insurers and self-insured entities in coverage disputes, liability claims, and complex litigation.
• Real Estate, Development & Land Use — Assisting with zoning, entitlements, density planning, and growth management.
• Community Redevelopment & CRA Counsel — Advising CRAs on TIF financing, redevelopment planning, and statutory compliance.
• Municipal Litigation & Appeals — Representing local governments in constitutional challenges, public records disputes, and development litigation.
• Public Sector Contracts & Employment — Drafting and reviewing interlocal agreements, public works contracts, and collective bargaining agreements.

SSHB’s shareholders — Clifford B. Shepard, D. Andrew Smith, III, Andrew J. Hand, and Patrick A. Brackins — are Board Certified in City, County & Local Government Law. The team includes associates Ryan G. Knight, Holli R. New, and Abigayl Osborne-Liborio, who bring expertise in municipal law, housing authority matters, construction litigation, and environmental law.

Clifford B. Shepard — Shareholder/Founder. City Attorney for Maitland and Apopka; General Counsel to Florida Redevelopment Association; Special Magistrate; recognized by Best Lawyers in America®, Florida Super Lawyers, and Florida Legal Elite.

D. Andrew Smith, III — Shareholder. City Attorney for Flagler Beach and Edgewood; Assistant City Attorney and Code Enforcement Special Magistrate for multiple cities.

Andrew J. Hand — Shareholder. City Attorney for Mount Dora, Dunnellon, Mascotte, Webster, and Village Attorney for Highland Park; Assistant General Counsel to the Florida Redevelopment Association; LEED® AP.

Patrick A. Brackins — Partner. City Attorney for Dade City and Mount Dora; Special Counsel to Orange County and City of Clermont code enforcement boards; Local Hearing Officer for City of Orlando.

Ryan G. Knight — Senior Associate. Over a decade of experience in complex construction defect litigation, representing subcontractors, developers, and insureds in liability defense.

Holli R. New — Associate. Focus on environmental and local government work; experience with procurement and government contracting.

Abigayl Osborne-Liborio — Associate. Focus on local government, municipal, real estate, and housing authority work.

Representative public clients include the Cities of Maitland, Apopka, Flagler Beach, Edgewood, Mount Dora, Dade City, Dunnellon, Mascotte, Webster; Towns of Ponce Inlet, Eatonville, Melbourne Beach; Village of Highland Park; and CRA counsel to Tampa, Fort Myers, and Lake Wales. SSHB also serves as General Counsel to the Florida Redevelopment Association and as Special Magistrate/Hearing Officers for Orange County, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, and Orlando.