Nabors Giblin & Nickerson P.A.

Herbert W.A. Thiele
1500 Mahan Drive
Suite 200
Tallahassee, Florida 32308
Tallahassee Office

Phone: (850) 224-4070
Fax: (850) 224-4073
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Herbert W.A. Thiele

Of Counsel


Areas of Practice

Local Government Law

Mr. Thiele joined the Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson, P.A. Tallahassee Office in April 2020 as Of Counsel.  He previously served as County Attorney for Leon County, Florida, for 30 years.  Prior to joining Leon County, Mr. Thiele was the City Attorney for the City of Delray Beach, Florida, for over eight years, and an Assistant City Attorney in Delray Beach while in private practice for the three years preceding.  Mr. Thiele graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Government and International Studies and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida.  He is admitted to practice before numerous state and federal courts, including the Florida Supreme Court and the United State Supreme Court.  Mr. Thiele has actively participated as an officer and committee chair in several Florida Bar sections, including serving as Chairman of the City, County, & Local Government Law Section.  Mr. Thiele also served as the President of the Florida Association of County Attorneys for four separate terms, and was President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association from 2015-2016. Mr. Thiele was chosen by the Florida Municipal Attorney’s Association as Municipal Attorney of the Year for 1987-1988.  The City, County, & Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar awarded Mr. Thiele the Ralph A. Marsicano Award, the Section’s highest honor, in 1991 for significant contributions to the development of local government law in Florida.  Additionally, in 2000 Mr. Thiele received the Paul S. Buchman Award for outstanding contributions in the area of legal public service, and in 2016 Mr. Thiele received the H. Hamilton “Chip” Rice Award in recognition of his efforts in the area of mentoring and educating future leaders of the profession, especially in Local Government Law.  Mr. Thiele was also honored to receive the Ethics in Government Award from the Florida Association of County Attorneys in 1998, 2001, and 2019, as well as the Chair Service Award from by the City, County, & Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar in 2005 and again in 2018.  Mr. Thiele also received the President’s Award, its highest honor, from the Florida Association of County Attorneys in 2005, and he has been named by Florida Trend as a Florida Legal Elite Government / Non-Profit Attorney for multiple years over the past decade.  He was a member of numerous American Bar Association committees, including the Environmental Law Committee; Ethics Committee; and Land Use, Planning & Zoning Committee.  Mr. Thiele has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Florida State University College of Law teaching Local Government Law and lectured and written numerous articles on Florida and national local government issues, including honest services and misuse of office, PACE program issues, zoning, land use and comprehensive planning, local lobbyist regulation, annexations, public records and sunshine laws, and personnel matters.  Mr. Thiele has also been qualified as an expert witness on Florida Public Records and Sunshine laws and is rated AV by Martindale Hubbell.

Prior Professional Experience

  • Leon County Attorney, 1990-2020.
  • City Attorney, City of Delray Beach, 1981-1990.

Professional, Civic & Community Involvement

  • The Florida Bar, Member.
  • The Florida Bar, City, County and Local Government Law Section, Member, Past Chairman.
  • Florida Association of County Attorneys, Past President.
  • International Municipal Lawyers Association, Past President.
  • Former member of the American Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee Member; Ethics Committee Member; and Land Use, Planning & Zoning Committee Member.
  • Served as an adjunct professor at the Florida State University College of Law teaching Local Government Law.
  • Florida Ethics Institute-Board of Directors, Member.

Education

  • J.D., University of Florida, 1978.
  • B.A., University of Notre Dame, Government and International Studies 1975.

Honors

  • AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 Peer Review Rated™ by Martindale-Hubbell®.
  • Ralph A. Marsicano Award, City County and Local Government Law Section of The Florida Bar, 1991.
  • Paul S. Buchman Award, City County and Local Government Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2000.
  • H. Hamilton “Chip” Rice Award, City County and Local Government Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2016.
  • Ethics in Government Award, Florida Association of County Attorneys, 1998, 2001 and 2019.
  • Chair Service Award, City, County & Local Government Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2005 and 2018.
  • President’s Award, Florida Association of County Attorneys, 2005.
  • Florida Trend Magazine, Florida Legal Elite Government/Non-Profit Attorney, since 2010.
  • Florida Municipal Attorney’s Association, Municipal Attorney of the Year 1987-1988.