JOHN R. JENKINS

Position: Member

Born: New Rochelle, New York, November 16, 1958; admitted to bar, 1984, Florida.

Education: Iona College (B.A., Philosophy, 1980); Florida State University (J.D. 1984; B.S. Finance, 2000).

Member: The Florida Bar; Tallahassee Bar Association; American Water Works Association; Water Environment Federation.

Special Agencies: Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Water Management Districts.

Practice Areas: Public Utilities; Mergers and Acquisitions, Public Finance; Administrative Law; General Corporate.
Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 1984, Mr. Jenkins has handled a range of public utility, administrative law, and general corporate matters. Mr. Jenkins has practiced before the Florida Public Service Commission on territorial disputes, rate and service availability issues, utility transfer cases, wastewater reuse and land development issues. He has similar experience with the Department of Environmental Regulation regarding permitting, enforcement, water quality, environmental litigation and environmental rule challenges, as well as environmental issues involving the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the various water management districts.

In recent years his practice has focused on utility financing and corporate acquisitions, with a concentration on water utilities. He has been involved in all aspects of the purchase and sale of water and wastewater utility systems and companies in a large number of asset and stock transactions. These acquisitions include negotiation, valuation, financing, and general representation of investor owned utilities, non profit cooperatives, parties and governmental units including cities, counties and community development districts. In 2003, Mr. Jenkins acted as buyer’s representative and counsel in the acquisition of the assets of the Florida Water Services Corp., the largest water and wastewater utility in the State of Florida. In this transaction, the largest of its kind in Florida, Mr. Jenkins represented a coalition of local governments including the Cities of Marco Island, Palm Coast, Deltona, Hernando County, the Toho Water Authority and others.

Mr. Jenkins has closed over $300 million in tax-exempt industrial development revenue bond issues for projects throughout the State of Florida, as well as taxable revenue bond issues and conventional financing for private borrowers. Pursuing his interest in financial transactions, Mr. Jenkins received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 2000 from Florida State University. He has also been involved in various rate structure and complex utility tax matters which include securing federal tax-exemptions for utility cooperatives, establishing not-for-profit utilities and advising Revenue Ruling 63-20 corporations for financing purposes. Mr. Jenkins has also assisted clients in other industries including natural gas, co-generation, and telecommunication matters, particularly involving competitive local exchange companies.

Throughout his career, Mr. Jenkins has also handled a variety of administrative and general corporate law matters and commercial transactions on behalf of clients. This representation has included professional licensure cases before state licensing boards, establishing and advising corporations, stock and asset sales, contracts and collections litigation.