Ms. Goddeau leads the Firm’s Local Government Law Group and is one of fewer than 250 attorneys Board certified by the Florida Bar in the area of City, County, & Local Government Law. She has over seventeen years of experience representing governmental agencies and has been with the Firm for over ten years. She has significant experience representing local governments in litigation matters and providing advice and counsel to local government personnel.
Ms. Goddeau is well versed in the areas of public records, ethics, procurement and Sunshine Law compliance. She has provided advice and training to a variety of elected officials and personnel on ethics, public records, Sunshine Law, and other issues and has rendered numerous legal opinions for local governments with respect to these complex areas of the law. Utilizing and applying this counseling experience, Ms. Goddeau has litigated a number of public records cases for municipal clients -- including both at the trial and appellate levels. Based on her litigation experience, Ms. Goddeau takes a proactive approach in addressing public records requests and issues and in assisting our clients avoid unnecessary litigation and attorneys' fees.
During the course of her career, Ms. Goddeau has also represented clients in connection with negotiating and drafting complex contracts, including public works, engineering, and communications contracts. She also has experience drafting resolutions and ordinances on behalf of local government clients.
Ms. Goddeau's selected accomplishments include:
- negotiating the transfer of a local government utility system to regional authority and a multi-million dollar interoperable radio network contract for a local government consortium;
- negotiating and drafting of documents for local districts' multiple construction projects, including a new hospital and nursing home constructed on time and under budget;
- serving an instrumental role in the resolution of construction contract disputes on behalf of municipalities;
- defending a Section 1983 action asserted against local city officials;
- successfully arbitrating a utilities contract dispute for local municipality;
- drafting numerous engineering, utilities, and public works contracts;
- successfully defending an election contest suit for local municipality;
- successfully defending a multi-count state lawsuit against a local city official.
Education and Background
Ms. Goddeau earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Stetson University and her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Florida.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Goddeau served as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate (JAG) in the United States Air Force, where she served as a special prosecutor, claims administrator, and contract advisor. Her accomplishments include successful court-martial prosecutions; resolution of tort claims for and against the federal government; the award of a multi-billion dollar satellite communications network contract (without protest); creating a standard legal review for all Freedom of Information (“FOIA”) requests; and providing legal assistance to active duty and reserve military members facing deployment. Upon leaving active duty, she worked for the Department of Air Force as a civilian contracts attorney, and then became an in-house legal advisor to a local constitutional officer.
C. Goddeau V-Card |