Scott McLaren is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in both Civil Trial Law and Business Litigation, and has served multiple terms on the firm’s Management and Compensation Committees. Scott is licensed in Florida and Georgia, and concentrates his practice on litigation involving business disputes, real estate, land use, and construction issues, as well as complex commercial litigation. Scott has extensive courtroom and jury trial experience in prosecuting and defending lawsuits and administrative proceedings involving zoning and land use issues, claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive and unfair trade practices, class action claims, breach of contract, condemnation, environmental issues, construction claims, Section 1983 claims, property tax issues, land title claims, corporate and partnership disputes, non-compete issues, commercial leasing disputes, qui tam issues, restrictive covenant issues, and other business torts and real property issues.

Scott has been involved in litigating several cases with significant impact upon the business and development communities. These cases include significant (seven and eight figure) damages awards to clients, seven and eight figure settlements paid to clients, defense judgments for clients, and multiple court rulings allowing development plans of clients to proceed (condo towers, apartments, cell towers, single family, industrial, retail, office, and mixed use developments) and others requiring demolition/removal of improvements from real property. Scott’s appellate experience includes primary responsibility for appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, Florida Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, as well as administrative appeals before the Florida Governor and Cabinet.

Scott has received numerous professional accolades, and is most proud of his pro bono work. Since 2015, he has chaired the Tampa Federal Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee. In 2024, the Federal Judiciary of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida presented Scott with the Hon. Thomas B. McCoun III Champion of Justice Award for his pro bono service. Additionally, in 2017, Scott was presented with the Pro Bono Service and Excellence Award from the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Honors

  • Thomas B. McCoun III Champion of Justice Award
  • Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association: 2017 Pro Bono Service and Excellence Award 
  • AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review (2000-present)
  • BTI Consulting Group: 2020 Client Service All-Star Award 
  • Fellow, International Society of Barristers (2017-present)
  • Florida Super Lawyers (2013-present)
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite (2013-present)
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Super Lawyers Business Edition
  • Tampa Bay Magazine's Top Lawyers
  • The Best Lawyers in America®  (2013-2025)
    • 2013 Tampa Litigation - Real Estate Lawyer of the Year
  • TAMPA Magazine's Top Lawyers (2023-present)
    •  Litigation: Land Use / Zoning
    • Litigation: Real Estate

Board Certified by the Florida Bar

Board Certified in Civil Litigation

Board Certified in Business Litigation

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