On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Bryant Miller Olive P.A. (BMO) is celebrating a major milestone: its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the firm has been providing the highest quality representation in some of the most complex and technical areas of governmental law and public advocacy.
“Founded in 1970 by a highly esteemed group of legal professionals, Bryant Miller Olive P.A. immediately earned its reputation as one of Florida’s preeminent law firms,” said BMO Managing Shareholder Grace Dunlap. “Throughout the past 50 years, Bryant Miller Olive has continued to build upon that reputation by focusing on our core subject matter expertise, our diversity, and providing a team approach to legal services. We are proud of our legacy as a law firm of providing exemplary legal services, and we look forward to a strong future of continuing to serve our clients with a collaborative client centered focus.”
Former Florida Governor C. Farris Bryant, former Deputy Attorney General Wilton R. Miller,; and former Assistant Attorney General W. Robert Olive, along with Benjamin H. Dickens, a pioneer in the area of governmental and private bond finance in Florida, formed BMO in 1970. The firm was created with four core values: competence, service, trust, and loyalty.
Along with a motivated group of highly-skilled legal assistants and other professionals, these men created the firm to represent Florida’s interests on public finance transactions, and to serve as bond counsel on one of the first pollution control financings in the nation.
In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the firm emerged as a leader in the affordable housing movement, and was hired to represent Florida’s state housing finance agency. BMO rapidly developed the largest affordable housing public finance practice in Florida. Through milestone achievements in the areas of public finance transactions, government and business law, higher education, disclosure, pollution control, and affordable housing, BMO soon earned a statewide reputation for credibility and unparalleled service.
Today, while the scope of the firm’s practice has expanded, the firm remains true to its founding vision: “We will be known by the quality of service we provide.” BMO is recognized as one of the top public finance firms in the Southeast. Over the past two decades, BMO has served as bond counsel on more Florida bond issues than any other firm and the dollar volume of transactions for which BMO has served as disclosure counsel exceeds that of any other Florida firm. The Firm has a strong Disclosure Counsel practice including representing Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation, two of Florida’s largest issuers of municipal debt. Together, these entities have issued over $20 billion of municipal bonds over the past 15 years, including the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation’s $3.5 Billion Revenue Bonds, Series 2020A that closed on September 16, 2020 to provide reinsurance liquidity; the largest fixed-rate municipal bond transaction issued to date in the Southeastern United States.
With offices in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., the firm represents governments, businesses and agencies in legal matters relating to public finance, real estate, state and local government law, project finance, litigation, and labor and employment. Nearly 40 attorneys serve clients in a variety of practice areas.
The firm’s recent legal awards include Tier 1 National “Best Law Firm” in Public Finance Law by U.S. News ― Best Lawyers (2020); Best Public Finance Law Firm for the US Business News’ Legal Elite (2020); and Daily Business Review’s Professional Excellence Awards, South Florida’s Litigation Department of the Year for Employment Law in the small firms category (2019, 2018).
To learn more about Bryant Miller Olive, visit www.bmolaw.com.
About Bryant Miller Olive
With a distinguished 50-year history of serving its clients’ needs, Bryant Miller Olive represents governments, businesses and agencies in legal matters relating to public finance, real estate, state and local government law, complex transactions, project finance, litigation, and labor and employment. Firm attorneys are often called upon to handle some of the most complex legal issues in the boardroom and in the courtroom. The firm has offices in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit https://www.bmolaw.com.
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