Carlton Fields Adds Richard T. Tschantz, Former General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County

Tampa, Fla. – Carlton Fields welcomes environmental lawyer Richard T. Tschantz to its Government Law and Consulting practice. He joins the firm’s Tampa office after three decades in the public sector, most recently as general counsel of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County.

“Rick is deeply familiar with the inner workings of environmental regulatory agencies and holds longstanding relationships with government officials and staff across the state,” said Nancy G. Linnan, chair of Carlton Fields’ Government Law and Consulting practice. “His distinctive experience will be invaluable to our clients.”

Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Tschantz served as the general counsel of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County for nearly two decades. Before that, he was deputy general counsel of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. In addition to his deep understanding of environmental regulations, Tschantz has considerable trial experience. He handled administrative cases on behalf of EPC, litigated numerous cases on behalf of the water management district and, prior to that, worked as a state prosecutor.

“I’m looking forward to guiding clients as they navigate environmental regulations, and I am excited to join the firm’s outstanding team,” Tschantz said.

Carlton Fields’ environmental attorneys represent clients that operate in a variety of industries, including energy, utilities, road building and construction, chemical, oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, development, and real estate. Governmental entities also hire the firm to represent them in some of their most important environmental disputes, and Carlton Fields has represented public interest organizations as well.  

Tschantz has more than 30 years of experience in environmental and government law issues with a focus on environmental permitting and administrative litigation. He is well-versed in local, state, and federal natural resource protection programs and regulations, including extensive experience in water and air quality, wetlands, waste management, consumptive use permits, and mining. Through his prior work, he has also developed a strong background in legislative lobbying at the state and local level. He has worked extensively with local governments, state water management districts, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Tschantz is an active member and past president of the Florida Local Environmental Resource Agencies (FLERA), a consortium of local government environmental programs across the state. He is also a past chair of FLERA’s Legislative Committee. In that role, he met regularly with state legislators regarding proposed environmental legislation. Tschantz has also presented many times before the Florida Chamber at Marco Island, one of Florida’s most prominent environmental permitting and regulation seminars.

“We are thrilled to have Rick on board,” said Carlton Fields Tampa Office Managing Shareholder Luis Prats. “He is well-versed in sea level rise resilience and issues surrounding waterfront development, timely topics that affect our clients across many industries in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.”

Tschantz earned his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law and his B.S. from Florida State University.