Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried on Friday announced that Steven Hall will serve as General Counsel for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Hall had previously served as Acting General Counsel under the previous administration, and will now lead the Department’s legal efforts as General Counsel.
Hall first began with the Department as a law clerk in 2005 and became Deputy General Counsel in 2017. He will serve as Chief Legal Counselor to the Commissioner, Chief of Staff, and other senior Department staff, and will lead the Office of General Counsel, consisting of over 20 attorneys and staff which provide legal counsel to all the Department’s 19 divisions and offices.
“I’m proud to have Steven Hall leading our legal efforts – his institutional knowledge, expertise in agricultural, water, and administrative law, and love for Florida’s natural lands and waterways make him an asset to our Department. I look forward to continuing to work with him to support our agriculture community, protect consumers, and conserve our environment,” shared Commissioner Nikki Fried.
Through his 13 years with the Department, Hall has gained experience on a wide array of issues including agricultural, aquaculture, and silvicultural resources, water policy, public safety, consumer services, pesticides and fertilizers, food safety, school nutrition, marketing, and energy resources. Just this week, the Florida Government Bar Association named him the 2018 Government Attorney of the Year.
“Growing up in a farming family, I’ve spent my life working to support our state’s agriculture community. It’s why I originally pursued a legal career – to help Florida’s farmers and ranchers. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to serve as General Counsel, and look forward to working with Commissioner Fried to continue supporting Florida agriculture and elevate the consumer services branch of the Department,” said Steven Hall, General Counsel.
Steven Hall — General Counsel
A licensed Florida attorney for over a decade, Hall first began working for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as a law clerk in 2005, working his way up to Senior Attorney in 2008, Deputy General Counsel in 2017, and Acting General Counsel in 2018. Hall earned a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from Samford University, and a Bachelor of Science in Food and Resource Economics, with a Minor in Agricultural Law, from the University of Florida. A sixth generation Florida farmer, Hall still farms on family land in Jackson County.
Source: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services