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Top-Ranked Environmental Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.27 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked environmental lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are Nectaria M. Chakas (LexRank 80.00), Vanessa Lynn Prieto (80.00) and Stephanie Jean Toothaker (80.00).

This ranking lists 7 environmental lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 2 to 29 years in practice. 2 of the 7 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
7
Fully verified
7 of 7

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Nectaria M. Chakas

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
  2. No change

    Vanessa Lynn Prieto

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
  3. No change

    Stephanie Jean Toothaker

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
  4. No change

    Quentin Edward Morgan

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 1.40 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    1.40 points behind #3 (Stephanie Jean Toothaker): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  5. No change

    Onier Llopiz

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Eminent Domain · Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 73.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 4.80 points behind #4, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 22.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    4.80 points behind #4 (Quentin Edward Morgan): Practice-area relevance −5, Experience −1.2.

  6. No change

    Stephen Luis Conteaguero “Steve”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 6 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 53.45: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (7.2/30). 20.35 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 7.2/30 (ranking avg 22.6)

    20.35 points behind #5 (Onier Llopiz): Experience −21.6, Professional credentials −3.8.

  7. No change

    Robert Joseph Hely

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 2 years experience
    • Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 52.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Experience (2.4/30). 1.05 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.3)

    Held back by

    • Experience 2.4/30 (ranking avg 22.6)

    1.05 points behind #6 (Stephen Luis Conteaguero “Steve”): Experience −4.8.

Environmental market in Fort Lauderdale

LexRanked tracks 7 lawyers in environmental law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 7 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
7
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
7 of 7
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
26 years7 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Fort Lauderdale

What sets these Fort Lauderdale lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 7 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 2 to 29 (median 26)
Languages besides English Spanish (2), Greek (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Nova Southeastern University - Shepard Broad College of Law (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Lauderdale office address and environmental as a practice area on record. It compares 7 environmental lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in environmental, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida gives citizens the right to sue to stop violations of environmental laws, after first filing a verified complaint and giving the agency 30 days to act.

Rule What it means
Citizen suits A citizen may sue for an injunction against anyone violating laws that protect Florida air, water and natural resources (Fla. Stat. § 403.412(2)(a))
Complaint first The citizen must first file a verified complaint with the responsible agency, which has 30 days to act (§ 403.412(2)(c))
Development order challenges A challenge that a development order is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan must be filed within 30 days after the order (§ 163.3215(3))
Property rights claims An owner whose property is inordinately burdened by a government action may seek compensation under the Bert J. Harris, Jr. Act (§ 70.001(2))
Bert Harris deadlines The claim must be presented within 1 year after the law is first applied, at least 90 days before suit, with an appraisal (§ 70.001(4)(a) and (11))
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Broward County is in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Can a citizen sue a polluter in Florida?

Yes. Under the Environmental Protection Act a citizen may seek an injunction against anyone violating laws that protect air, water and natural resources (section 403.412), after filing a verified complaint with the agency and giving it 30 days to act.

How long do I have to challenge a development approval?

30 days after the development order, or after local appeals are exhausted, for a challenge that it is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan (section 163.3215(3)).

What is a Bert Harris claim?

A claim for compensation when a specific government action inordinately burdens an existing use of real property (section 70.001). It must be presented within 1 year after the law is first applied and at least 90 days before suit, with an appraisal.

Which court handles cases in Fort Lauderdale?

State court cases in Broward County are heard in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking environmental lawyers in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. 2 of the 7 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

7 of the 7 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Nectaria M. Chakas, Vanessa Lynn Prieto, Stephanie Jean Toothaker, Quentin Edward Morgan and Onier Llopiz and others.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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