Maggie D. Mooney’s practice focuses on governmental law, special taxing districts, land use, administrative law, and litigation. For over 17 years, she has represented municipalities, dependent and independent special districts, and a deep water port authority on various legal issues relating to land use, environmental law, contractual claims, public finance, public procurement, public private partnerships, taxing and special assessments, home rule authority, annexations, public records laws, Sunshine laws, and ethics laws. She has litigated matters on behalf of her local governments in state, federal and administrative courts, including the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and Florida Supreme Court. Maggie currently serves as the Town Attorney for the Town of Longboat Key and as Special Magistrate over code enforcement matters for the City of Bradenton. She also serves as general and special counsel to a number of independent and dependent special districts including: fire control districts, library districts, beach districts, improvement and drainage districts and community development districts. Maggie also represents private client interests on land use and local government related matters before local jurisdictions not represented by our law firm.
Maggie is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law and is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell. She has been selected as one of Florida Rising Stars in the area of Government/Cities/Municipalities by Super Lawyers Magazine for the years 2011-2015. Ms. Mooney-Portale was named one of Biz941 Magazine’s “Top 25 People to Watch” in 2009. She has been an active participant in the Florida Bar’s City, County and Local Government Law Section and the Manatee and Sarasota County Bar Associations. She has also served on the boards of Manasota Legal Aid, Manatee County Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division. Ms. Mooney enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 daughters and their family pets; entertaining family and friends at home; and traveling (when time and pandemics permit).
EDUCATION
- Florida State University, B.S., Communication, 1997
- University of Florida College of Law, J.D., 2001 – Certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- Florida Bar, 2002
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Manatee County Bar Association
- Sarasota County Bar Association
- Florida Bar’s City, County and Local Government Law Section
- The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors (2008-2011)
- Leadership Manatee Graduate
PRACTICE AREAS