Mark Bentley

Mark Bentley is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, certified planner, and board-certified attorney who has built a distinguished career in land use, eminent domain, zoning, and property rights law. With more than three decades of experience and a background as a county planner and city planning director, he combines practical government insight with relentless advocacy for private property owners, developers, and businesses.

Mark is one of the few attorneys in Florida to hold membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a credential that sets him apart in land use and zoning matters. He is also board certified by The Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law, the highest level of recognition for legal proficiency in his field. Known for his creative problem-solving and willingness to pursue novel solutions, Mark has handled some of the most complex redevelopment projects and constitutional challenges in the state.

Mark began his career in public service as the Planning Director for the City of Oldsmar and later as a planner for Hillsborough County. That foundation gives him rare insight into how governments make land use and zoning decisions — and how to effectively advocate for private property owners, developers, and businesses navigating those processes. His practice today spans eminent domain and land use litigation, zoning and development approvals, administrative law, and dispute resolution under Florida’s Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (FLUEDRA). Mark literally wrote the book on FLUEDRA: his 2008 Stetson Law Review article remains the leading authority cited by courts and practitioners.

Over the years, Mark has represented a broad range of clients, from national developers and petroleum companies to small business owners facing condemnation or noise enforcement actions. He is frequently sought out for high-stakes, precedent-setting matters, such as constitutional challenges to local land use regulations and complex mixed-use projects requiring negotiation of innovative agreements with state and local agencies. His work is defined by a willingness to “push the envelope” on behalf of clients when a legitimate issue demands it, while maintaining the professionalism and thoroughness for which he is known.

Mark is also recognized nationally as a thought leader on noise regulation and litigation, a growing issue in Florida’s urbanizing communities. He has handled disputes involving bars, restaurants, concert venues, and the 20,000-seat Florida Amphitheater, and regularly collaborates with acoustic engineers to craft defensible noise control strategies. He has published extensively on the constitutional limits of noise ordinances and is often called upon to advise municipal attorneys and county officials on drafting enforceable, understandable standards.

Beyond his legal practice, Mark has shared his expertise as an adjunct professor in the University of South Florida’s Urban and Regional Planning Master’s Program, where he taught land use law from 2012 to 2015. USF also named an endowed scholarship in his honor, recognizing his contributions to educating the next generation of planners. He continues to serve on the Advisory Committee and as a Special Master under Florida’s Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.

Representative Matters

• Midtown Tampa Redevelopment: Represented New York–based developers in a 22-year effort to entitle, zone, and redevelop a large mixed-use project. Negotiated a groundbreaking agreement with FDOT and the City of Tampa to incorporate a required two-acre retention pond into an existing FDOT pond amenity with jogging trails, which created an additional buildable acreage and transformed the project into one of Tampa’s premier live-work-play communities.

• Constitutional Challenge to Delegated Land Use Authority: Co-counsel in litigation against the Pinellas Planning Council after a land use change was denied. Successfully challenged the validity of legislation delegating authority to the Council and improper adoption of the Countywide Plan, with the court voiding the Countywide Plan.

• Eminent Domain Litigation: Represented numerous property owners across Florida in condemnation actions, including gas station operators and commercial landowners, ensuring clients received full and fair compensation.

• Noise Regulation & Enforcement: Counsel to business owners and municipalities in high-profile noise disputes, including the 20,000-seat amphitheater at the Florida State Fairgrounds, nightclub permitting, and code enforcement actions. Helped craft model sound control permit frameworks for use in Florida municipalities.

Bar Admissions

• Florida, 1987

Education

• Stetson University College of Law, J.D., cum laude
• University of Florida, M.A., Political Science with honors
• University of Florida, B.A., Political Science with honors

Awards & Recognition

• A/V Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Board Certified by The Florida Bar, City, County & Local Government Law
• Florida Super Lawyer since 2008
• The Best Lawyers in America© since 2011
• Florida Trend Magazine Legal Elite, 2015
• Florida Trend – Notable Real Estate/Land Use Attorneys, 2025
• Tampa Bay Magazine’s Best Lawyers, 2010 – Present
• Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2018 – #1 by his peers in Litigation: Land Use & Zoning
• Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2019 – #1 by his peers in Land Use and Zoning, and Eminent Domain
• Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2021 – #1 by his peers in Land Use and Zoning, and Land Use and Zoning Litigation
• Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List 2025 – #1 by his peers in Land Use and Zoning
• American Planning Association (APA) Distinguished Service Award, 2006, 2017
• American Planning Association (APA) Planner of the Year Award, 2009

Community & Professional Organizations

• The Florida Bar
  • Member, 1987 – Present
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
  • Member, 1989 – Present
• Ybor City Development Corporation
  • Former Chairman of the Board, 2001 – 2009
• University of South Florida, Urban and Regional Planning Master’s Degree Program
  • Adjunct Professor, 2021 – 2024
• Italian Club of Tampa
  • Legal Counsel
• Central Park Village Youth Services
  • Board of Directors Member
• American Planning Association, Suncoast Section
  • Major Sponsor

Outside of the Office

Mark’s passion for filmmaking, learned in the Marine Corps, and music has led him into filmmaking, where he has produced two acclaimed documentaries on rock legends. He co-wrote and produced Pre Fab!, which tells the story of Colin Hanton, the original drummer for John Lennon’s first band, the Quarrymen. The film, which includes an interview with Paul McCartney, premiered at the Florida Film Festival and has been praised for preserving a vital piece of Beatles history. Mark also co-produced and co-wrote Del Shannon: The Runaway, a feature documentary on the life and legacy of the iconic singer-songwriter best known for the hit “Runaway.” His daughter Erin, who is an executive with a major film studio, and son Adam, co-writer of the original film score, collaborated with him on Pre Fab!, making it a true family project.

Beyond filmmaking, Mark enjoys playing guitar, traveling, exercising, golfing, and working in the yard. He is a proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran and credits his time in the service with instilling the discipline and perseverance that continue to guide him today. Mark also takes great pride in his family: his daughter Erin’s thriving career in Hollywood and his son Adam’s success as a professional musician, producer, and recording engineer in Nashville, including being a member of the progressive band Arch Echo.