Melissa Tapanes Llahues, Shareholder/President, Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin + Tapanes

Melissa Tapanes Llahues, shareholder at Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin + Tapanes, spoke with Invest: about the firm’s prominent role in the real estate sector in Miami and how it balances its clients’ goals with the needs of the community. She emphasized the importance of mixed-use developments, and the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors.

What are some of the key milestones and achievements for the firm over the last 12 to 18 months?

2024 was an exceptional year for both our law firm and Greater Miami. We’ve been part of continuing the momentum of growth we’ve seen over the last decade, and especially the last few years post-pandemic. We’ve cemented our place as Miami’s go-to firm in our area of law. Miami has solidified its reputation as a thriving hub, and 2024 has been a year of growth and innovation with a focus on sustainability. At our firm, we’ve expanded our law offices to welcome a deeper bench of lawyers and paralegals. We’ve seen the city grow around us as part of our work.

The firm has established itself as a leader in land use, zoning, and environmental law. What differentiates your firm from competitors in the South Florida market?

What sets us apart is our commitment to represent developers, institutions, real estate investors, and property owners with a creative and comprehensive approach to urban infill projects. We balance our clients’ goals with the intricacies of municipal regulations, and proactively address community concerns. We are delivering results that harmonize the goals of both government and policy with developers and the real estate industry in a way that benefits the surrounding urban landscape. In Greater Miami, the environment is intricately linked to our economic development. We see how the developments we work on and the neighborhoods we help to create are part of the sustainability of our community. Sustainability isn’t just dealing with resilience and climate change from our building codes and the way we live our lives, but also things like housing affordability, transit availability, and the quality of life for our residents in every stage of their lives.

It must be highly rewarding to participate in the growth of the region in which you live.

I feel very passionate and invigorated on a regular basis. It’s like playing a game of Monopoly with your own community. When I began my law practice 20 years ago, we were at Miami City Hall advocating for mixed-use development; today, those projects are a reality. For example, Whole Foods in downtown Miami, which signed a lease in 2004, eventually opened over a decade later, illustrating the transformative nature of urban planning and development.

What are some of the challenges and opportunities in navigating South Florida’s unique zoning and land use regulations?

A key challenge is dealing with growth management at the macro level. We’re a growing community and growth is integral to our economic development. Miami continues to attract diverse people and businesses, but balancing competing interests, such as managing construction impacts, is crucial. Miami’s appeal now extends beyond Latin America to the global stage, attracting interest from Europe and across the United States.

How important is mixed-use development?

We need to move forward with mixed-use developments. Addressing supply and demand issues requires consistent innovation in urban infill, vertical development, and mixed-use projects. Mixed-use development offers solutions to multiple challenges, creating spaces that meet evolving needs while sustaining long-term growth.

How is your work part of the bigger picture of the city of Miami?

One of the delights of our work is being able to see the big picture and how everything works together. Even when we’re working on a small project, it’s one piece of the puzzle that makes the whole community work. When we look at new homes, we think about the families that are going to be living the American Dream there. When we are helping a business owner expand their business, we see the employees who are going to be part of that growth. It’s a macro way of looking at things that is very exciting. 

What are the top priorities for the firm over the next few years, and how do you see South Florida’s economic landscape evolving in this time?

Our priority is to continue to serve our clients with the same caliber of excellence and innovation on which we pride ourselves. Development applications are always changing. The private sector innovates, then the public sector responds. We are the liaison between the private and public sectors. We’re going to see the creation of new urban centers with transit-oriented development and mixed-use developments in traditionally suburban areas rather than just in urban core areas like downtown Miami.  Today, we’re doing the urban planning and urban infill required to accomplish those long-term goals. 

The other major trend is housing affordability. The legislature spoke in 2023 through the Live Local Act to make housing affordability the highest priority of the state. The county and city of Miami have followed suit. We’re working on many Live Local Act projects in all jurisdictions and implementing the benefits and incentives to create a level of attainable workforce housing without subsidies. 

The third trend is public-private partnerships. One of the things that sets our firm apart is our deep experience in public-private partnerships, with a focus on mixed-use and mixed-income development projects along with collaborative institutional services such as transit stations, fire stations and libraries. They all need to come together to create sustainability and long-term resilience. That’s how we see the future going, with the public and private sectors working together to provide services and amenities for our growing community.