Palm Beach's new town attorney is no stranger to island and its issues
Longtime Town Attorney John "Skip" Randolph left large shoes to fill when he retired last month after 44 years of service.
His successor, however, has had little trouble slipping into them.
Joanne O'Connor, a Massachusetts native and a Duke University graduate, was named the town's new attorney in December, ensuring a smooth transition.
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O'Connor, 53, who joined the West Palm Beach-based law firm Jones Foster in 2001, has spent the past 20 years working with the town on various legal matters, including land use, zoning, real estate and constitutional issues.
Her work has included defending class actions challenging the bond referendum and special assessment criteria involved in the town’s $128 million underground utility project, and defending the town in Donald Burns v. Town of Palm Beach, a landmark lawsuit brought under the First Amendment claiming the right to freedom of expression in residential architecture.
“Joanne’s track record of success on behalf of the town has been exemplary," said Randolph, who was honored by town officials Jan. 9 in a ceremony at Town Hall. "She has attended meetings in my absence and developed long-term, positive relationships with town staff in Planning & Zoning, Public Works, and the Police Department. Joanne, based on her experience, is uniquely qualified to step into my shoes as town attorney."
O'Connor, a Jupiter resident who holds a master's degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Tulane University, began her law career in Louisiana, where she was a clerk for a federal judge.
She also worked for a year at a New Orleans law firm, but she told the Daily News her career didn't truly begin until she moved to Florida 23 years ago and joined Jones Foster.
"I consider Jones Foster to be the start of my legal career," she said.
O'Connor's role with the firm, where Randolph was a longtime colleague, includes handling complex commercial litigation such as contracts, business torts, partnership and corporate disputes, and real estate and land use litigation.
She also defends actions seeking certification of nationwide and statewide classes, including consumer claims brought under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
"Litigation has always appealed to me," she said. "My mentor at the firm was Sid Stubbs, who was the former chair. When I started working at the firm, I started working immediately on Palm Beach cases, doing not only litigation cases, but doing research. I've been working on municipal land use and zoning matters as well as litigation since I started."
In her role as town attorney, O'Connor acts as Palm Beach's official legal representative, providing counsel and advice to town officials on all matters relating to the operation of the town, including defending civil actions at state and federal courts as well as drafting and reviewing ordinances and legislation.
O'Connor has represented other municipalities during her legal career, including Jupiter, Jupiter Island, Gulf Stream, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, but she said Palm Beach stands out in a number of ways.
"From a legal perspective, what makes it unique is the complexity of the issue as a municipality," she said of the town. "A significant part of that is because of the property values and the development. They raise a number of constitutional, real estate, land use and zoning issues that are uniquely complex to Palm Beach.
"Palm Beach residents also are very sophisticated. They're very active. What I love about representing the town of Palm Beach is just not only the complexity of the legal questions, but the quality of the legal representation that I work with."
O'Connor, who serves as vice chair of the Florida Bar's Federal Court Practice Committee and co-chair of the Palm Beach County Bar Association's Diversity Internship Program, said she hopes to be a steady voice for the town as it encounters challenging legal questions related to development and other issues.
"I hope to be a responsive and strong advocate for the town, both for Town Council officials and staff, as they all seek to preserve those special local characteristics that make Palm Beach unique," she said.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: New town attorney hopes to be strong advocate for Palm Beach
