Overview
Erik P. Clifton is an attorney in the firm's Land Use, Zoning & Environmental Group. A third‑generation Floridian, he focuses on helping clients navigate zoning matters, permitting, and development approvals by identifying regulatory hurdles early and working with planning staff to keep projects on track.
Before transitioning to land use, Erik worked on civil defense, product defect and injury matters, and aviation‑related issues, experience that strengthened his ability to evaluate complex fact patterns and advocate before tribunals and government entities. This background supports his work representing clients in public hearings and navigating the approval processes essential to moving development forward.
He earned his J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law, where he served as president of the Student Bar Association, sat on the Moot Court Board, and worked as an editor for the Law & Psychology Journal. While in law school, he also interned for the Honorable Chief Judge L. Scott Coogler of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, reviewing federal motions and observing judicial decision-making across a range of civil matters. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Florida State University.
In his free time, Erik enjoys golfing, running, and cooking, and is an oil painter who contributes artwork to The Reprise Literary and Creative Magazine.
Community & Civic
Community Activities
- American Red Cross
- Habitat for Humanity
- Bay Area Legal Services, Former Volunteer
Professional Certifications & Memberships
- The Florida Bar
- American Bar Association
- Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Former Committee Member
- Federal Bar Association Tampa Chapter Young Lawyers Division, Former Board Member
- Ferguson White Inn of Court, Former Member
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Florida
- District of Columbia
Education
- The University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 2024
- Florida State University, B.A.; History, 2020