Mr. Dunbar's practice focuses on gaming and governmental law. Mr. Dunbar began his legal career with Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell & Dunbar. During a two-year hiatus from the firm, Mr. Dunbar served as the Assistant General Counsel and Communications Director for the Florida Department of State. During his tenure with the Department, he was recognized for his exceptional legal work by Florida Tax Watch with a Davis Productivity Award, which honors state employees for exemplary service to Florida's taxpayers

For more than a decade, he has served as counsel to a host of gaming clients.  His gaming practice is Florida’s largest encompassing both lobbying and litigation for casinos, gaming suppliers, pari-mutuels, sweepstakes and charities.  Mr. Dunbar is regularly asked to appear before legislative and administrative panels to comment on changes to Florida’s various gaming laws as well as to provide assistance in drafting changes to Florida’s gaming rules and statutes.  He served as lead counsel for the gaming company that joined with Florida’s Speaker of the House in successfully challenging the tribal gaming compact between Florida’s Governor and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  He is a regular media commentator on Florida gaming issues, hosts a website www.floridagamingwatch.com dedicated to Florida’s gaming industry and is a monthly columnist to the regional gaming magazine Ante Up.

Mr. Dunbar who also teaches Gambling and Pari-mutuel Law at Florida State University College of Law has been called a "gaming expert" by numerous publications including Florida Trend magazine. In his gaming practice, he advises clients on pari-mutuel wagering, card rooms, slot machine wagering and charitable & sweepstakes gaming. He also has an active practice lobbying the Florida Legislature and the executive agencies of the State of Florida on behalf of a variety of clients.

Mr. Dunbar is very active in campaigns, having served in paid and volunteer capacities for several local, legislative, and statewide campaigns. In addition, Mr. Dunbar has practiced before the Elections Commission and advises a host of clients on election related laws which has included writing and successfully defending before the Florida Supreme Court. Mr. Dunbar has been named one of the top lawyers in the state by his peers in the annual Legal Elite Survey published by Florida Trend magazine for six consecutive years (2004-2009).

Education

Mr. Dunbar is a cum laude graduate of The Florida State University and The Florida State University College of Law.

Professional Activities

Mr. Dunbar is a member of The Florida Bar and is licensed to practice before the Northern and Middle District Courts of Florida. He is a past member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors and was the 2007-2008 Vice Chairman of the Sports, Entertainment and Gaming Committee of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Mr. Dunbar is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Political Action Committee, Horse PAC.

Publications and Presentations

• Regular contributor on gaming law issues to industry publication Ante Up magazine.
• Presentation before the Senate Regulated Industries Committee regarding the history of sweepstakes and slot machine laws in Florida, March 2008.
• Speaker, ABA National Institute on Gaming held in Las Vegas presented by the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, the Section of Business Law Gaming Law Committee, and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education, 2007 and 2010.
• Speaker, 2007 Global Gaming Expo on Research, Law & Regulation dealing with emerging jurisdictions and gaming expansion in the United States.
• Speaker, 2007 University of Kentucky National Equine Law Seminar.
• Co-Author, Evaluating Proviso in the State Budget - Is the Florida Legislature Complying with the Constitution?, Florida Bar Journal, July 2006.
• Co-Author, Residential Owned Community Guide for Florida Cooperatives, Aras Publishing 1998.
• Telecommunications Competition in Florida: A Look at HB 1531, Florida State University Law Review, Fall, 1993.

The Pennington firm's gaming and pari-mutuel law practice group provides up-to-the-minute news and updates relating to gaming and pari-mutuel law in Florida at http://www.floridagamingwatch.com.

 

Practice Areas

• Florida Constitutional Law
• Gambling and Pari-mutuel Law
• Governmental & Legislative Affairs