Phone
(850) 999-4100
Fax
(850) 577-0095
H. French Brown, IV
Of CounselOffice: Tallahassee
French Brown offers clients 12 years of experience practicing in state and local taxation. Prior to joining Dean Mead, he practiced at Hopping, Green & Sams. He began his legal career at the Florida Department of Revenue, where he quickly rose to the position of Deputy Director of Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution. There he oversaw more than 50 department attorneys, accountants and auditors in charge of legal guidance, agency rulemaking, and informal audit protests. Mr. Brown assists businesses with Florida tax planning and controversies.
Professional and Civic Activities
- The Florida Bar Association
- Tax Section (2007 – Present)
- Institute for Professionals in Taxation
- Member (2013 – present)
- Leadership Florida Connect, Class 7
- Leadership Tallahassee, Class 30
- FICPA State Tax Conference (2014 – Present)
- Rotary District 6940
- Assistant District Governor (2015 – 2018)
- Tallahassee Sunrise Rotary
- President (2013 – 2014)
Education
- Juris Doctor: Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, Florida, 2007
- Certificate, Environmental Law, 2007
- Bachelor of Science, General Chemistry: Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 2003
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 2007
- S. District Court, Northern District of Florida, 2016
- S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2014
- S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 2014
Prior Legal Experience
- Represents clients on state and local tax issues before the Florida Department of Revenue, in the Florida courts, before the Division of Administrative Hearings and the Florida Legislature.
- Represents businesses before the Florida Legislature by monitoring and reporting on legislation, preparing amendments, testifying before legislative committees, developing coalitions and advocating clients’ positions to legislators and legislative staff.
- Served as Deputy Director of the Florida Department of Revenue, Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution, and counseled the agency on a variety of state and local tax issues, including Florida’s communications services, corporate income, documentary stamps, and sales and use taxes.
- Counsels and represents corporate clients with Florida sales tax problems, including commercial rental transactions, real estate development, manufacturing operations, retail operations, construction, publishing, electric and telecommunications utilities, financial services, entertainment and hospitality industries.
- Advised study commissions and task forces on state and local tax policy, including the Communications Services Tax Working Group (2012).
Recognition & Awards
- Recognized as an Up and Comer in State and Local Taxation by Chambers USA- America’s Leading Business Lawyers, 2017 and 2018
- Honored as one of Florida's Legal Elite Up & Comers by Florida Trend magazine, 2018
- Honored as a “Rising Star” in Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016-2018
Speaking Engagements
- Moderator: 2020 Florida Legislative Preview with guest panelists Senator David Simmons, Senator Geraldine Thompson, and Representative Josie Tomkow, Dean Mead’s Legislative Series in Orlando, September 2019
- Featured among the speakers at the COST Southeast State Tax Seminar at Pfizer, Inc. in Memphis on June 27, 2019
- Lowering the Cost of Doing Business in Florida – Targeted Tax Reform, Florida Chamber of Commerce, January 2018
- Amendment 4 and Solar Development in the Sunshine State, Environmental and Land Use Law Section of The Florida Bar, May 2017
- Southeast & Federal Tax Legislative Update, FICPA MEGA Conference, 2016 (co-presenter)
- Transfer Taxes – Minimizing the Property Taxes Paid at Closing, IPT Property Tax Symposium, 2014 (panelist)
- Tax Issues Facing the Department and the Effect on Taxpayers, Florida Bar and FICPA State Tax Conference, May 2011 (panelist)
- Florida State and Local Tax Update, Florida State University Fall Accounting Conference, November 2010 (panelist)
- Rule Updates, FICPA Florida State Tax/ Florida Department of Revenue Liaison Meeting, November 2010 and November 2011
- Sales Tax Issues for Not-for-Profits, FICPA Florida State University Spring Accounting Conference, May 2009
Publications
- Quoted in an article entitled, "In Florida, 99% of companies pay no corporate income tax — with lawmakers’ blessing| Special Report," published in the Orlando Sentinel on November 13, 2019
- Quoted in an article entitled, "Lobbyists for Amazon, Walmart and other big businesses are writing a law to collect Florida sales tax online," published on September 25, 2019 in the Orlando Sentinel
- Guest Columnist of an article entitled, “INSIGHT: Florida Corporate Income Tax Credits Help Recipients and Taxpayers Through New Law,” published in Bloomberg Tax, April 2, 2019
- Guest columnist of an article entitled, “Florida Tax Exemptions Are Available for Solar Farms,” published in i4 Business magazine, January 2019
- The 2016 Amendments to the APA: Say Goodbye to United Wisconsin – and More, Florida Bar Journal, Volume 90, Number 9, September – October 2016 (co-author)
- Sales Tax Building for Real Property Contractors, Florida CPA Today, May – June 2009
- Rebirth of CERCLA Section 107 Contribution Actions: New Life PRPs that Conduct Voluntary Cleanups After Aviall, 14 Buffalo Environmental Law Journal, 211 (2007)
Blog Articles
- French Brown featured in Orlando Sentinel on Corporate Income Tax
- French Brown in Orlando Sentinel on Newly Proposed Legislation
- 2020 Florida Legislative Preview
- Florida Corporate Income Taxpayers Must Separately Report Key TCJA Impacts
- Pre-filed Legislation Would Impose Florida Sales Tax Collection Responsibilities on Remote Sellers and Marketplace Providers
- Increased Florida Corporate Tax Collections Estimated to Trigger $540M in Refunds
- Florida Wayfair Article in Law360
- Mark Holcomb and French Brown Speak at COST Seminar
- Tax Refunds And Rate Reductions Ahead For Florida Companies
- Wayfair: Formulating A Florida Response
- New Florida Corporate Income Tax Credits Explained by French Brown
- Florida DOR Publishes Report on Impacts to Florida Taxpayers due to TCJA
- Key Legislative Issues on the Forefront in 2019 – Part II
- Tax Exemptions for Solar Farms Explained by French Brown in i4 Business Article
- Florida Financial Outlook – Currently Sunny with Slight Chance of Recession
- Challenging Property Tax Assessments in Court
- How Amendment 6 Will Impact Florida Tax Law
- French Brown Explains Possible Florida Taxpayer Effects Due to Proposed Amendments
- French Brown Shares Insight on Vote of Florida’s Amendment 2 Importance
- French Brown Comments on Florida Amendment 2 Issue
- The Florida DOR’s Thirteen TCJA Topics – A Closer Look
- Florida Department of Revenue Conducts First Public Meeting Regarding TCJA Changes
- Florida DOR Seeks Input for TCJA Impact Analysis
- Florida Property Tax Litigation: Procedural Traps for the Unwary
- A Brave New World: The Taxation of Online and Mail Order Sales in a Post-Wayfair Florida
- FINDING YOUR ZONE – Florida’s Opportunity Zones Confirmed
- French Brown Quoted in Florida Politics on Amendment 2
- Florida Department of Revenue Publishes Tax Refund Forms for Farms, Nursing Homes, and Assisted Living Facilities Impacted by Hurricane Irma
- Chambers USA 2018 Recognizes Seven Dean Mead Attorneys for Legal Excellence
- Florida Department of Revenue to Study Impacts of Federal Tax Reform – Seeking Taxpayer Input
- 2018 Florida Legislature Enacts Numerous State and Local Tax Changes
- Legislative Update: The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Risk for Florida Corporate Taxpayers
