ALEXANDER L. PALENZUELA, ESQ.
The Law Office of Alexander L. Palenzuela, P.A. was founded in July 2012. Alexander L. Palenzuela has over 20 years of legal experience representing both governmental clients, such as municipalities and housing authorities, as well as private clients.
Mr. Palenzuela began practicing law in 1992, in the Housing Unit of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. (“LSGMI”). He represented applicants and participants in subsidized housing programs, both in administrative proceedings and in court.
During his seven years at LSGMI, Mr. Palenzuela became very familiar with Florida's landlord and tenant law as well as federal law governing the various subsidized housing programs. He also filed consumer bankruptcies to preserve participants' housing subsidies and to save their homes from foreclosure. Mr. Palenzuela represented his clients through all levels of proceedings beginning with administrative hearings, evictions, bankruptcy, and any appeals to state or federal court.
In 1999, Mr. Palenzuela began working in the law department of the City of Hialeah. He was a member of the litigation team in the City Attorney’s office of the City of Hialeah, where he practiced municipal law, labor and employment law, civil rights law, bankruptcy law, personal injury defense, and foreclosure.
In 2001, Mr. Palenzuela joined a local firm that specializes in represents local governments, where he eventually became a shareholder. He was a member of the government, labor, and litigation divisions. His practice focused on municipal law and labor and employment law at the administrative hearing, trial, and appellate levels. He provided advice and representation to employers, particularly governmental employers, regarding a broad variety of labor matters including disciplinary and personnel matters, charges of discrimination, and unemployment compensation and FLSA claims.
He gained extensive experience in government law and code enforcement issues. He advised and represented governments, their boards and special magistrates, and also defended respondents in code enforcement matters. He handled administrative hearings and court and appellate proceedings relating to the interpretation and enforcement of building, fire, municipal, county and unsafe structure codes, and any related code enforcement and municipal assessment liens. His municipal practice included the prosecution and defense of municipal lien foreclosures and code enforcement and unsafe structures injunction actions. His municipal practice also included drafting ordinances, resolutions, interlocal agreements and other contracts, and bid documents.
During this time, he represented well over a dozen municipalities and three housing authorities. He also served as the Section 8 and Housing Opportunities for People with Aids (HOPWA) Administrative Hearing Officer.
As noted above, Mr. Palenzuela opened his own firm in July 2012, the Law Offices of Alexander L. Palenzuela, P.A. He represents private and municipal clients in municipal and land-use matters, including, but not limited to, building and permitting issues; code enforcement, including fine reductions and unsafe structures proceedings; planning and zoning reviews and approvals; revising administrative procedures and drafting ordinances, ad valorum tax and governmental lien issues . He represented a local municipality’s community development board and advised the board that reviews and approves the municipality’s affordable housing loans/grants. He also represented the municipality as the lender for affordable loans/grants. He also served as the title agent for commercial and residential real estate transactions, including those for the affordable housing loans/grants. He serves as outside counsel to another municipality in code enforcement. He represents employers, including municipal employers, and non-profit and for profit corporations, in labor and employment matters as well as bankruptcy matters. He also represents municipalities in utility matters, litigation, including tort claims defense, and other matters as needed.
He served as a Red Light Camera Hearing Officer and a Section 8/HOPWA Hearing Officer. Finally, he represents a housing authority in Section 8 termination proceedings and evictions. He currently serves as a Code Enforcement Special Master for the City of South Miami.
Mr. Palenzuela has also served on the boards of and volunteered his legal services for various non-profit entities, mostly in the areas of governance of the non-profit and labor and employment law.
Practice Areas: Municipal Law, Administrative Law, Municipal and Land Use Law, Appellate Litigation, General Litigation, Real Estate, Landlord and Tenant, Bankruptcy, and Labor and Employment Law.
List of representative governmental clients:
City of Coral Gables
City of Florida City
City of Hialeah
City of Miami
City of North Miami
Housing Authority for the City of Miami Beach
Education: Phillips Academy, Andover (1985); Institut d'études politiques de Paris (c.e.p. 1988); Georgetown University (B.S.F.S. 1989); University of Miami (J.D. 1992).
Bar Membership: Admitted to Florida Bar in 1992 (Fla. Bar No. 946095), U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 1993, Qualified to Practice in Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida pursuant to Local Rule 2090-1(A).
Languages: Fluent in Spanish and French. Conversant in Italian and German. Mr. Palenzuela is on the list of francophone attorneys for the Consulate General of France in Miami.
