Iris V. Escarrá

Land Use

Environmental

Government Law & Policy

Institutional Investors

Iris Escarrá is Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Land Use Practice and regularly recognized as one of the leading Miami land use and zoning attorneys advising major real estate developers across South Florida. Based in the firm’s Miami office, she focuses on land use law, zoning law, development entitlements, and complex municipal approvals for large-scale real estate development projects. Iris regularly represents some of Miami’s most prominent developers, property owners, and real estate investors on projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. With her counsel, dozens of high-profile commercial, residential, hospitality, and mixed-use developments have been approved and completed throughout Miami over the past two decades.

A Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in City, County, and Local Government Law, Iris was named Best Lawyers 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” for Land Use and Zoning Law in Miami, one of the legal industry’s highest recognitions. She guides clients through the Miami zoning and land use approval process, securing approvals for some of the most significant real estate developments shaping the Miami skyline and urban growth across South Florida. Her work includes obtaining full development entitlements, including rezonings, land use amendments, variances, site plan approvals, and subdivision approvals for complex projects. She also assists clients in government procurement matters and land use due diligence to evaluate development potential and regulatory risk.

Before joining Greenberg Traurig in 2005, Iris served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Miami, where she gained firsthand experience with municipal zoning regulations, development review processes, and city planning procedures. She regularly represents clients before planning and zoning boards, historic preservation boards, and the Miami City Commission, advocating for approvals on transformative development projects.

Her clients include many of South Florida’s most active real estate developers and investment groups, who value her strategic, solutions-driven approach to navigating complex zoning and land use challenges. Clients frequently note her ability to leverage her deep knowledge of Miami land use regulations, zoning policies, and municipal decision-making processes to move projects through the entitlement process.

Greenberg Traurig’s South Florida Land Use Team has made an impact throughout the state. View a map of the team’s work on Miami’s skyline.

Concentrations:

Governmental affairs

Land use representation

Procurement

City, county and local government law

Subdivision law

Iris also secures local government approvals, including platting, waiver, warrants, major use special permits, special exceptions, variances, special area plans, modifications to ordinances, historic preservation approval, DRI approvals, marina approvals, rezoning and comprehensive plan amendments. Once development occurs, she continues to serve her clients by resolving complex code enforcement matters that may arise.

Concentrations:

Governmental affairs

Land use representation

Procurement

Real estate transactions

City, county and local government law

Subdivision law

Member, Miami-Dade County 2025 Charter Review Task Force, 2025-2026

Board Member, Friends of The Underline, 2022-Present

Member, Urban Land Institute (ULI); Southeast Florida/Caribbean Advisory Board, 2020

Graduate, Leadership Miami, Class 30, 2008-2009

Member, American Bar Association

Member, Dade County Bar Association, Environmental and Land Use Committee

Member, Cuban American Bar Association

Member, The Florida Bar; Board Certified, City, County and Local Government, Board of Legal Specialization and Education; Former Member, City, County & Local Government Law Certification Committee