Shareholders Charles L. Cooper and Jennifer R. Cowan Recognized in Real Estate and Land Use Edition of Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite Section
Location: Tallahassee
September 3, 2025 — Tallahassee, FL — Bryant Miller Olive Shareholders, Charles L. Cooper, Esq. and Jennifer R. Cowan, Esq., are recognized in the Real Estate and Land Use September edition of Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite section. This edition highlights Florida attorneys who have specialized expertise and vast experience in handling Real Estate, Real Property and/or Land Use legal matters.
Charles (Charlie) Cooper is the Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Tallahassee office, and Chair’s the Real Property & Commercial Transactions practice group. He is also a member of the firm’s Public Private Partnerships (P3) practice group. With over 37 years of experience, Cooper has extensive experience representing clients in commercial real estate transactions, including providing representation of sellers, purchasers, lenders, and property managers in a wide variety of matters. Specifically, Cooper provides representation in contract negotiation in connection to property acquisitions and financing commercial real estate projects (including acquisition and construction loans); refinancing, and preparing (i) commercial leases, (ii) “like kind” exchange documentation, (iii) covenants and restrictions for commercial centers and subdivisions, (iv) owners’ agreements, and (v) organizational documents for property owners’ associations. Likewise, Cooper represents and advises clients in all phases of their business ownership, from formation through the operations and sale, merger or dissolution stages. His work in this area includes assisting clients in selecting and organizing the appropriate business entity; establishing corporate operating procedures; preparing shareholder and partnership buy-sell agreements; negotiating and drafting contracts, including employment contracts; representing business clients in federal and state tax matters, including administrative protests and appeals; and sales and acquisitions of businesses, including asset sales and purchases, sales of business entities, mergers and reorganizations.
Jennifer Cowan is the Chair of the firm’s Government Counsel Services practice group. She is also a member of the firm’s Government Procurement, Public Private Partnerships (P3) and Appellate Advocacy practice groups. Cowan is board certified by The Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law. Her practice focuses on representation of municipalities, special districts and various local government entities across Florida in all manners of legal matters. She represents and advises serving in roles such as city attorney, general counsel and special counsel. Her practice emphasizes land use and real estate matters within her representation of municipal entities; she often, and routinely advises on land use entitlements, zoning, comprehensive planning, real property transactions, and regulatory compliance. Her experience includes guiding public clients through complex issues related to development approvals, easements, rights-of-way, and property acquisition and disposition. Additionally, she has represented private sector clients in matters involving Developments of Regional Impact, comprehensive plan amendments, concurrency, zoning disputes, impact fee reimbursement, and the establishment of Community Development Districts (CDDs). She has also handled civil litigation and appeals related to land use and real estate development. With regard to her areas of expertise, Cowan also regularly presents CLE courses and legal education content for various Florida Bar legal organizations and forums.
About Bryant Miller Olive
With a distinguished history of over 54 years serving its clients' needs, Bryant Miller Olive represents governments, businesses and agencies in legal matters relating to public finance, real estate, state and local government law, complex transactions, project finance, litigation, and labor and employment. Firm attorneys are often called upon to handle some of the most complex legal issues in the boardroom and in the courtroom. The firm has offices in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit: www.bmolaw.com/AboutUs.
