Michelle Diffenderfer
Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.
Mrs. Diffenderfer is Shareholder and President of Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A. and holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Michelle assists landowners, businesses and governments with local, state and federal, environmental, natural resource and land development legal requirements. Michelle helps clients navigate these laws and regulations in the permitting of their land development and infrastructure projects.
Michelle volunteers for a number of organizations dear to her, including, the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy & Resources, the Gulfstream Council for Leadership Florida and the Episcopal Church of Bethesda by the Sea. Michelle is also a member of Leadership Palm Beach County, the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Caribbean Bar Association. Michelle previously chaired and remains involved with: Girls II Women, Inc., the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar, and the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. Michelle is a proud supporter of the American Bar Foundation and the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council.
Michelle has been recognized for her community work and legal achievements as follows: Florida Super Lawyers, Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite; South Florida Legal Guide; The International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers; Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches ATHENA® Award; Florida Achievement Award from the Commission on the Status of Women; Key to the City of West Palm Beach; Families First of Palm Beach County, Harriet Goldstein Award; University of Miami School of Law Alumni Association, Alumni Achievement Award; Caribbean-American Democratic Club of Palm Beach County Community Change Maker Award for Environmental Advocacy; Business Leader Magazine’s Women Extraordinaire Award; The Palm Beacher magazine’s “Local Women in Power” issue.
- University of Miami School of Law
- J.D. (1994) | Juris Doctor
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- Honors: Order of the Coif
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- Brown University
- B.A. (1990) | Educational Studies
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- President
- Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.
- - Current
- Shareholder
- Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.
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- Looking Out to Sea: Resurging Interest in Seawater Desalination Projects Face the Twin Specters of Technical Challenges and Permitting Complexity
- American Bar Association
- New USEPA Report on Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands May Affect CWA Jurisdiction
- Journal of American Water Works Association
- Florida's New Crop: Is Water Farming For You?
- Journal of the American Water Works Association
- Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Analysis and the Clean Water Act
- Journal of the American Water Works Association
- Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Analysis in the Environmental Context for Assessing Environmental Damage
- WestLaw Journal: Environmental
- The Winds of Change…Storming into the Future, Florida Association of Special Districts Annual Conference
- Florida Water Law: Limited Availability in the Land of Abundance, Water Sustainability Plenary AIChE Spring National Meeting
- Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Global Threats, ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law Summit
- Clearer or More Confusing? Final Waters of the U.S. Rule Change Remains Murky, Florida Bar Environmental and Land Use Section Conference
- EPA Clean Water Rule, American Bar Association Spring Conference
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
- Martindale Hubbell
- Florida Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Top Lawyer in Environmental Law
- South Florida Legal Guide
- Florida Achievement Award
- The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
- Harriet Goldstein Award
- Families First of Palm Beach County
- American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
- Past Chair
- Current
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- American College of Environmental Lawyers
- Fellow
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- Leadership Florida
- Class of XXXIII
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- American Bar Foundation
- Fellow
- Current
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- Girls II Women, Inc.
- Past Chair
- Current
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- Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches
- Past Chair
- Current
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- The Florida Bar, Environmental and Land Use Law Section
- Past Chair
- Current
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- Leadership Palm Beach County
- Class of 2000
- Current
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- Executive Women of the Palm Beaches
- Member
- Current
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- Florida Association of Environmental Professionals
- Member
- Current
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- Palm Beach County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Caribbean Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Florida State Bar # 50016
- Member
- - Current
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- Florida
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- Environmental Law
- Gov & Administrative Law
- Administrative Law, Election Law, Government Contracts, Government Finance, Legislative & Government Affairs
- Native American Law
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
- English: Spoken, Written
- Website
- Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A. Website