Jake Varn

Attorney with Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn
Mr. Varn started working in the environmental area for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) in 1962. In 1969, he returned to law school at the University of Florida and assisted Dean Frank Maloney, the leading expert on Eastern Water Law, in drafting the Model Water Code. The code was used in 1972 as the foundation for the Florida Water Resources Act of 1972, which became Chapter 373, Florida Statutes. During his tenure as the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), he was responsible for preparing the first water policy for the state, which is now found in Chapter 62-40, Florida Administrative Code. After returning to private practice in 1981, Mr. Varn has participated in every substantial amendment to Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, and is considered Florida’s foremost expert on Chapter 373.