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thousands of international students in its schools and universities, which in turn promotes a vibrant
multicultural workforce.

Public-Private Partnerships

Florida businesses enjoy a coordinated system of economic development initiatives through several
important public-private partnerships. Newcomers to Florida, whether workers or businesses, are
supported by a coordinated system of workforce services administered by the Florida Department of
Economic Opportunity and its divisions to provide state and federal programs and initiatives to help
visitors, citizens, businesses, and communities. The Division of Strategic Business Development
supports the attraction of out-of-state businesses to Florida, promotes the creation and expansion of
Florida businesses and facilitates Florida’s economic development partnerships. The Division of
Workforce Services partners with CareerSource Florida (the principal workforce policy organization for
the state) and the state’s 24 regional workforce boards to strengthen Florida’s business climate by
supporting employers and helping Floridian workers gain and retain employment and advance in their
careers. The Division of Community Development manages Florida’s land planning and community
development responsibilities, which helps ensure that new growth fosters economic development while
protecting significant state resources. Enterprise Florida, Inc. provides startup and growth support to
Floridians and newcomers alike, including site selection services, advice on trade and industry trending,
and coordination of introductions to potential economic development partners. Last but certainly not
least, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council supports the high tech industry and its workforce with
economic development initiatives. The efforts of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council have been
recognized by an honors award granted by the International Economic Development Council.

Guide to Doing Business in Florida

In this Guide to Doing Business in Florida (this “Guide”) prepared by the lawyers and professionals of
Akerman LLP, Florida’s largest law firm (based on the total number of attorneys practicing in the state)
and a longstanding Lex Mundi member firm, you’ll find guidance on a large variety of issues confronting
both new and established businesses. Each chapter begins with the contact information of the con-
tributing authors. Appendix 1 contains a full index of contact information for our contributing authors
and our firm at large. Appendix 2 contains a listing of the state agencies mentioned in the text of this
Guide. Appendix 3 contains an organizational chart showing the basic organizational structure of the
Florida state government.

We hope you’ll find this Guide useful as a commentary on general business and legal issues in Florida.
With more than 600 lawyers and other professionals available for deployment in support of your legal
needs, we look forward to providing further guidance and advice on any specific legal issues you may
have.

References and Disclaimers

Statistics for this article were provided by resources listed on Appendix 2.

The information provided in this Guide is current as of January 1, 2016, and is subject to change by
future legislation. This Guide is intended to provide a summary of general business and legal issues in
Florida and should not be relied upon as an alternative to the engagement of legal counsel. Any tax
advice contained herein is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of
avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or promoting, marketing or
recommending to another party any tax-related matters addressed herein. Nothing contained in this

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