Dana Macdonald, Managing Partner, Panza, Maurer & Maynard, PA

Panza, Maurer & Maynard Managing Partner Dana Macdonald spoke with Invest: about the law firm’s market presence and the factors behind its success, key milestones from the past year, and emerging trends that are imparting the industry. “You can’t ignore AI. I believe it will be even further integrated into the practice of law, and I am curious to see how this will impact the legal profession over time,” she said.

Reflecting on the past year, what have been some significant milestones for Panza, Maurer & Maynard?

Our firm will soon be celebrating our 50-year anniversary. We were founded in 1976, and our two founding partners are still active practitioners in the firm. We primarily practice in administrative and regulatory areas, and we handle various issues with federal, state and local government agencies. Some of our recent successes have been in these areas, as well as in government procurements. We represent companies in industries including healthcare, education, insurance, banking, pharmaceuticals, gaming and medical marijuana to address regulatory compliance, assist with the procurement process, as well as address legal and administrative challenges to government contract awards and licensure issues.  

Examples of  recent successes have included assisting clients in securing a government contract for statewide debt collection services, a multiyear state term contract for information technology services, multiple emergency management contracts for services for the state of Florida totaling more than $50 million. We also defend the award of these government contracts, as many times when our clients are awarded contracts, denied competitors will challenge the governmental entity’s decision. We have been successful in these award challenges as well, including successfully challenging a prior intended award and assisting the same client in obtaining a more than $12 million multi-year contract for a client participating in a state agency Invitation to Negotiate. Our firm has assisted our clients in obtaining various approvals to advance the services provided by their medical marijuana businesses with the Office of Medical Marijuana Use.

We also successfully defended against licensure complaints, in situations when a licensed professional has a complaint filed against them with a regulating agency. We have seen further success in our representation of hospice companies in obtaining a Certificate of Need, which is required before seeking a hospice license in Florida. While I am the Managing Partner, my practice area is primarily higher education. I also have experience working with K-12 schools, all of which fall under the umbrella of administrative and regulatory legal work.

As a firm with a strong presence in industries like healthcare, education, and government, what shifts are you seeing in client needs within these sectors?

All of these areas are highly regulated, and there are always new regulations, laws, and rules that impact those specific industries. Within the last year, there have been a number of regulatory challenges that have occurred in these areas, particularly in education. These sectors can be impacted by federal regulations, state regulations, and local ordinances. Title IX is an example where there has been significant change resulting from different administrations’ priorities. We anticipate additional changes and regulations related to Title IX in the future; just in the past year, additional regulations were introduced, but they were blocked by court actions. I expect that with each new administration, there will be a different perspective with varying regulatory priorities. 

The issues of school choice and vouchers will also likely evolve in the future, as Florida expands opportunities for non-traditional schools. I anticipate corresponding regulations introduced to navigate these changes.  Another area that is poised to impact higher education institutions and recipients is additional sub-regulatory guidance addressing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. 

With the ongoing economic pressures, how are your clients’ strategies evolving, and how is your firm supporting these adaptations?

Economic pressures impact our clients’ industries depending on their particular avenue of business. Our clients are evaluating legal costs more closely with regard to whether they challenge a licensure or contract matter they were not awarded based upon the ultimate value of the contract, or conversely, they may be increasingly inclined to pursue a challenge if the value of the license or contract is large. We have also seen clients pursue challenges due to economic pressures in the healthcare sector to recoup payments from payors and government entities.

Economic pressures cross many of the industries that our firm serves and have been felt by many of our clients. Everyone talks about the cost of education, so this is an additional challenge for higher education institutions to balance meeting demand with rising costs in order to provide a product to their consumer to ensure a return on investment. We collaborate with and support our clients in finding new and unique ways to adapt to industry economic challenges and attempt to find lower-cost legal avenues to explore, allowing our clients to conduct, grow and advance their businesses in fiscally responsible ways.

How are trends like increased digitization and technology adoption impacting the legal landscape?

You can’t ignore AI. I believe it will be significantly integrated into the practice of law, and I am curious to see how this will impact the legal profession over time. It does make performing certain activities more efficient, but it still does not replace the human elements, like critical thinking.

What key trends are shaping practice areas like government relations and labor law?

I believe we will see deregulation in some of these areas, due to the incoming administration. Over the past year or two, there have been a number of regulations that would directly impact labor and employment practices. These have moved forward only to be stopped by the courts. 

Looking ahead, what are the top priorities and goals for Panza, Maurer & Maynard over the next few years?

We look forward to growing our government, administrative, and regulatory practices. We have offices in Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Gables, so this is an area in which we are more than capable of serving clients in need and can continue to expand. A benefit to working in the administrative and regulatory field is that we can work with diverse industries. Our work is focused on the regulatory and administrative process itself, but the effects are far-reaching across innumerable industries. We are always learning about different areas and industries which keep our attorneys engaged and excited to navigate new challenges.  

What emerging industries or market dynamics present the most significant opportunities for your clients and the firm?

Resiliency, infrastructure hardening and other issues related to the blue economy are the first that come to mind. In South Florida, we are near the ocean, so coastal resiliency is paramount. Rising sea levels and other environmental changes pose a direct threat to the sustainability and growth of our economy. Coastal infrastructure such as hotels and businesses are increasingly vulnerable to flooding, erosion and storm surges which can lead to costly damage and disruptions for tourism and the local economy.  Our firm is engaged in these issues so that we are well positioned to advocate on behalf of our clients and potential clients when the need arises.

 Education and Health Care will continue to be important as well. With the aging population, advances in technology, and a demand for a more flexible healthcare system, I think we will see the healthcare landscape adapt accordingly.  Given our strong healthcare practice area, we are excited to see the healthcare industry continue to evolve and look forward to helping our clients stay ahead of the curve.