Overview
Joseph “Joe” Kovecses helps property owners, developers, and businesses successfully navigate Florida’s complex land use, zoning, and code enforcement landscape. He combines deep knowledge of local regulations with more than a decade of litigation experience to deliver practical, strategic solutions that move projects forward.
His litigation background enhances his land use practice, allowing him to anticipate legal challenges and craft defensible strategies that withstand scrutiny from agencies and stakeholders. Joe has successfully represented clients in administrative hearings and zoning-related litigation, including consistency challenges under Florida's Community Planning Act.
Joe guides clients through every stage of the development process — from due diligence and entitlement strategy to public hearings and final approvals. He frequently appears before county and municipal boards across Florida, advocating for comprehensive plan amendments, rezoning applications, and other development orders. Known for his ability to think on his feet, Joe addresses unexpected concerns from officials, neighbors, and stakeholders during hearings, often turning potential obstacles into constructive outcomes.
In addition to his land use work, Joe has extensive experience in real estate and commercial litigation, representing clients in Florida state and federal courts. Whether through pre-suit negotiations, trial advocacy, or appellate work, clients rely on his candid counsel and vigorous defense to protect their investments and resolve disputes efficiently. He is recognized in Best Lawyers in America (2025, 2026) for Commercial Litigation.
Joe also represents property owners in complex code enforcement matters, guiding them through violation, compliance, and lien reduction phases. His work has resulted in substantial outcomes, including a nearly $475,000 lien reduction for a client.
He is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell and admitted in all Florida state courts and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida. Joe is a member of The Florida Bar, the George C. Young American Inn of Court, the Orange County Bar Association, and serves on the Board of Directors of Orlando Family Stage.
Outside the office, Joe enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife and two sons. An avid hiker, he has trekked sections of the Appalachian Trail, crossed the Grand Canyon rim to rim, and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Experience
Land Use
- Assisted development team in securing county commission approval for a car wash facility in a rural settlement.
- Assisted client team in negotiating with the Florida Department of Transportation to significantly reduce the required roadway improvements for a driveway access permit.
Litigation
- Obtained final summary judgment on behalf of a developer-intervenor in a consistency challenge brought against a rezoning ordinance filed under Section 163.3215, Florida Statutes, part of Florida’s Community Planning Act.
- Represented the interests of a developer-intervenor in a 5-day Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) evidentiary hearing in a case challenging a county’s amendment of its land development code under Section 163.3213, Florida Statutes, part of Florida Community Planning Act.
- Obtained dismissal of a retaliatory defamation case related to an ongoing partnership dispute.
- Successfully negotiated the resolution of a contentiously litigated case for partition of a hotel property.
- Successfully negotiated the resolution of a partnership dispute regarding a landscaping company.
Code Enforcement
- Negotiated extended compliance schedules for Osceola County’s signage ordinance for commercial properties within the County’s West U.S. 192 Development Corridor.
- Secured a $475,000 reduction of a $500,000 code enforcement lien on a vacant residential parcel following its abandonment by the prior owner.
- Secured a $43,000 reduction of a code enforcement lien on a commercial property due to a compliance delay caused by a hurricane.
News & Insights
News
Publications
Recognition
Recognition
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, 2025-2026
Community & Civic
Community Activities
- Orlando Family Stage, Board of Directors
Professional Certifications & Memberships
- Orange County Bar Association
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Education
- University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D, magna cum laude, 2012
- University of Central Florida, B.S., 2008; Biology