Paul Waters is a partner with the Vose Law Firm, and is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Paul serves as City Attorney for the City of Bunnell, as City Attorney for the City of Neptune Beach, and as an assistant city/county attorney for each of the firm’s other local government clients. Since joining the firm in 2022, Mr. Waters has handled most of the firm’s appeals, including a recent victory after oral argument before the Sixth District Court of Appeals that upheld the validity of the City of Naples’ fertilizer ordinance. This ruling paves the way for other local governments to maintain clean water free from harmful pollutants that cause algae blooms, fish kills and pose human health risks. In addition, Mr. Waters successfully defended a petition for writ of certiorari challenging a city’s decision to deny a development permit application. He also litigates other permit denial cases and code enforcement lien foreclosures.

Mr. Waters has a wealth of government legal representation experience, having held various supervisory legal and executive positions within the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) over an eleven-year period. He served as Deputy Secretary, which is the Agency’s most senior position in charge of regulating almost one million licensees and 20 of the State’s largest regulatory boards, many that directly impact local governments, including the Construction Industry Licensing Board, the Building Code Commission, the Building Code Administrators Board, and the Real Estate Commission just to name a few.

As Deputy Secretary, Mr. Waters often testified before legislative committees and met daily with legislators and senior gubernatorial staff to resolve complex policy and legal issues. In addition, Mr. Waters served as Deputy General Counsel, which is the lead attorney in charge of seventy prosecuting attorneys and support staff which prosecuted thousands of cases annually before the Agency’s boards and the Division of Administrative Hearings. He also served as the Executive Director of the Florida Athletic Commission, which oversaw all professional boxing and MMA events held in the State, many of which were major televised events including the sanctioning of the reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Finally, Mr. Waters served as the Agency’s informal hearing officer for a contentious casino license denial case. The case made its way to the Florida Supreme Court, which upheld Mr. Waters’ decision and legal analysis.

After leaving DBPR and prior to working for the firm, Mr. Waters served three years as General Counsel for a national transportation company, which was the second largest government contractor for the United States Post Office. In that role, he oversaw regulatory compliance with federal and state departments of labor and departments of transportation arising from over 2,000 employees and 1,500 tractor trailers. Mr. Waters settled lawsuits involving wrongful termination for alleged discrimination, alleged retaliatory firings of whistleblowers, and allegations of hostile work environment. He was instrumental in the dismissal of a Department of Justice investigation involving alleged unpaid fringe benefits and wages. Finally, Mr. Waters managed outside insurance attorneys defending the company in truck accident lawsuits, some of which involved fatalities.

After graduating the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida, Mr. Waters served as an environmental and zoning code enforcement officer for Volusia County where he enforced one of Florida’s first sea turtle lighting ordinances that “darkened” almost 36 miles of Volusia’s beachfront, a very controversial program at the time. It was that experience of presenting cases before Volusia County’s Code Enforcement Board that led Mr. Waters to attend law school at the Florida Coastal School of law, where he received the degree of Juris Doctor.

Mr. Waters is licensed in Florida and Texas (inactive), and he is a member of the Middle District of Florida’s Federal Court Bar. He is also a member of the Volusia County Bar Association. While not working, Mr. Waters enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and 16-year-old son surfing, fishing, and jogging.