William P. Sklar

William Sklar represents developers and lenders. He assists them with planning, drafting, and the development of residential, commercial, and complex mixed-use condominiums and planned developments. William also serves as regulatory counsel in compliance matters under numerous federal, state, and local statutes; regulations; and ordinances, including the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Florida Condominium and Homeowners Association acts. Additionally, he represents clients in real estate transactions and financing.

William is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Miami School of Law and a member of the faculty of the LL.M. program in real property, teaching courses in condominium and planned development law and a related drafting and litigation workshop since 1980. He is the director of the University of Miami's Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development.

William is board certified by the Florida Bar in real estate and condominium and planned development law, and by the Florida Supreme Court as a certified circuit and county court mediator.

He is the chair of the firm’s Government Law and Consulting Practice and managing shareholder of Carlton Fields' Tallahassee office.

• Chief lobbyist for Florida’s largest condominium developer, enacted significant amendments to Florida’s Building Code to create enhanced fire safety in high-rise residential developments.
• Drafted governing documents as general counsel for a complex mixed-use development that included a 1.5 million-square-foot regional mall, approximately 1,000 residential condominium and rental units, a distribution facility, medical/clinical and skilled nursing facilities, and a regional entertainment center.
• Represented buyer in the acquisition of a 3,000-plus apartment unit and nine property portfolios located in four Florida counties with structured asset management and private equity participation interests.
• Lead due diligence counsel in the largest condominium unit portfolio for conservator of failed financial institution containing more than 5,000 condominium units with an aggregate value of more than $2.5 billion.
• Defended NYSE-listed Fortune 500 company at trial and on appeal in federal and state courts and before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals regarding Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act and related liability claims.
• Drafted governing documents as general counsel for a property owners association that administered master common areas, the maintenance of which was delegated from sub-associations, either commercial or residential, as well as drainage facilities, roadway medians, street lighting, and other significant communitywide facilities.
• Represented developer in a 400-plus unit redevelopment in West Palm Beach, Florida.
• Represented pharmaceutical company in the acquisition of its corporate headquarters and a research and development facility in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
• Represented, as bond purchaser counsel, a state pension fund, secured by recreational property leases on three projects in two Florida counties.
• Represented client in wetlands avoidance and off-site mitigation plan approval before the South Florida Water Management District and Army Corps of Engineers for a residential development in Palm Beach County, Florida.

• Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law by the Florida Bar
• Board Certified in Real Estate by the Florida Bar
• William S. Belcher Lifetime Professionalism Award, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar (2022)
• Commendation for Service, The Florida Bar (2021)
• Chambers USA (2021–2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law (2014–2024)
• Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2006–2013, 2015–2023)
• Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2011, 2015, 2017, 2020–2021)
• Alumni Achievement Award, University of Miami School of Law (2012)
• The Legal 500, Real Estate (2011)
• Lynford Lardner Community Service Award (2002)

• American Bar Association
  • Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section
    • Committee on Condominium and Cooperative Housing
• American College of Real Estate Lawyers
• College of Community Association Lawyers
• The Florida Bar
  • Executive Council, Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section
  • Chair,  Condominium Law & Policy Life Safety Advisory Task Force
• Genetic Information to Stop Breast and Ovarian Cancer Inc.
  • President
• Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation
  • Board of Directors

• "Luncheon Roundtable of Condominium Past Chairs – Policy Issues; Future Trends and Changes in Community Association Law and Governance" and "Meeting with the 'Division' – Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation," 47th Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development, University of Miami School of Law (October 6–7, 2022)
• "The Surfside Condo Collapse: A Panel Discussion on Insuring Condos and Lending to Associations," Attorney Bankers Conference - Lender Series (April 6, 2022)
• "Existing Building Maintenance & Inspections Dialogue With ICC," International Code Council (December 7, 2021)
• Condominium and Planned Development Law Seminar, Legislative Update
• Real Estate Certification Review Course, The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section​