Real estate partner and FIND Commissioner honored as Outstanding Young Leader by prominent organization

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that Spencer Crowley has received the 2017 Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Award of Excellence from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Crowley, a Miami partner who leads Akerman’s real estate and land use groups in Miami, was honored as Outstanding Young Leader during the Chamber’s Dec. 6, 2017 Trustee Luncheon at the Hilton Downtown Miami.

Presented by The Allen Morris Company, the annual Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Award was created to recognize the achievements of an individual, organization and young leader who have made significant contributions and set standards for the development of the Miami central business district’s core economy, its culture, promotion, education, beautification and preservation.

The Young Leader Award recognizes one “who not only has a strong vision of what downtown Miami can be but also has been able to play an instrumental role in transforming the Central Business District into a place where businesses come to grow and people want to live.” This is the fourth edition of the award, which emanated from the chamber’s New World Center – Downtown Miami Committee, which Crowley chaired from 2012-2014.

Crowley joined fellow honorees Alberto Ibarguen, the Knight Foundation President and CEO who was recognized as Outstanding Individual; and the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) represented by DDA Chaiman Ken Russell, which was named Outstanding Institution. Recently elected Miami Mayor Francis Suarez served as the keynote speaker during the luncheonand presented a compelling vision of what downtown Miami can become under his leadership.

“I am humbled and grateful to receive this award, which was established to recognize Alvah Chapman’s contributionsto our community, and specifically to our downtown,” said Crowley. “The evolution of downtown Miami can be traced to a meeting he convened with Miami’s top leaders in 1976 on the 38th Floor of the newly completed One Biscayne Tower, and I am honored to be mentioned in the same context as these visionary and selfless leaders. I am especially honored to receive this award today alongside Miami’s new Mayor Francis Suarez and the DDA chair Ken Russell, whose collaboration and support going forward will help ensure that our bold plans for downtown become reality.”

Spencer Crowley is an accomplished attorney and dedicated public servant with a strong commitment to improving the built environment and the natural environment of Miami-Dade County. Spencer’s legal practice focuses on large scale land use matters where he leads entitlement efforts for major redevelopment projects in the urban core of South Florida, and environmental permitting matters related to Florida’s coastal areas, including marina permitting, use of sovereignty submerged lands and beach nourishment projects. His specialty is leading large multi-disciplinary teams of professionals to successfully complete complex entitlement and permitting projects which involve all levels of government approval. Spencer is fortunate to have been integrally involved with some of the most transformative projects across South Florida including Brickell City Centre, Miami Design District, Midtown Miami, Babcock Ranch, Village at Gulfstream Park, Skyrise Miami and David Beckham's quest to bring an MLS Soccer franchise to Miami.

In addition to his private practice, Spencer is committed to civic engagement, primarily through years of dedicated service as a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND). As Miami-Dade County FIND Commissioner, Spencer has secured over $37 million in State funding for major public projects and initiatives such as the waterfront improvements at Museum Park, acquisition of land along the Little River to establish Manatee Bend Park, redevelopment of the Miami Marine Stadium, dredging and environmental restoration of Wagner Creek/Seybold Canal, and dredging of the Miami River. In addition to this funding assistance, Spencer led efforts to improve the Miami Circle site as an urban waterfront park and has been a consistent advocate in the efforts to establish a connected baywalk and riverwalk in downtown Miami.

About Akerman LLP

Akerman LLP is a top 100 U.S. law firm recognized by Financial Times as among the most forward thinking firms in the industry. Its more than 650 lawyers and business professionals collaborate with the world’s most successful enterprises and entrepreneurs to navigate change, seize opportunities, and overcome barriers to innovation and growth. Akerman is known for its results in middle market M&A and complex disputes, and for helping clients achieve their most important business objectives in the financial services, real estate, and other dynamic sectors across the United States and Latin America.Akerman's Real Estate Practice Group offers comprehensive and fully integrated project counsel services to clients across the United States and Latin America. With substantial industry experience and local market insights, the firm represents clients in complex real estate transactions and financings, development and redevelopment projects, public-private initiatives and litigation. Recognized as a national tier one law firm for real estate law by U.S. News - Best Lawyers, the group advises investors, developers, builders, lenders, retailers, owners and corporate end users, often in high profile matters.

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