Charles Forman is an AV Preeminent rated attorney with the firm of Forman, Hanratty, & Thomas.

A Focused Career

Mr. Forman began working on property rights and eminent domain cases with the late C. Ray Greene, Jr. of Jacksonville and has represented property owners, governments and utility companies in more than 1,000 cases statewide.

Mr. Forman has been selected as a Top Attorney in Florida and a Best Lawyer in America. Mr. Forman is also a Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator and does mediation throughout Florida.

Born in Hollywood, Florida, February 12, 1951, admitted to the practice of law in 1977. He devotes his professional life to practicing land-use and property rights law with offices in Ft. Lauderdale and Ocala, Florida.

Education with Honors

• University of Texas,  B.A. with Honors Mathematics 1973, Phi Beta Kappa
• University of Florida, J.D. with Honors 1976, Phi Kappa Phi

Since 1980, Charles has participated in more than 1,000 property rights and condemnation cases throughout the State. Among statewide projects, Mr. Forman has handled condemnation cases for property owners, business owners, and tenants in Broward County involving the conversion of S.R. 84 to I-595, the relocation of U.S. 1, and the expansion of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Mr. Forman was also involved in representing property owners in the conversion of Alligator Alley to I-75 in Broward and Collier Counties and in the State of Florida’s Cross-Florida Barge Canal Project in Central Florida.

In 2012, Charles became a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Civil mediator.

Allegiance in Associations 

• Chairman of the Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission
• Member of the Economic Development Council
• Trustee for the Marion County Hospital District
• Frequent lecturer before the Florida Bar Continuing Education Committee and Eminent Domain Committee
• He has been an active supporter of youth programs through Immerse Church (formerly PFGC)
• He has served as Vice-Chairman of the Florida Bar, Standing Committee on Eminent Domain
• He co-founded the Eminent Domain Sub-committee of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers

A Personal Life with Purpose

Charles moved to Ocala in 1977, where he raised his children, Andrea, Nikki, Brandy and Drew. He and his wife, Sue Ann, have maintained their homestead in Black Sink Prairie (Citra, FL) since 1983.

As a result of his avid outdoor pursuits in off-shore fishing and hunting, Mr. Forman also has been extensively involved with intellectual property rights and licensing law issues representing many internationally renown wildlife artists, including Kent Ullberg, Randy Buck, Al Agnew, Ed Pang, as well as Dr. Guy Harvey.

Charles has been involved with the various Guy Harvey business enterprises since their origination twenty years ago. Charles is one of the owners of Bill Boyd’s Bait and Tackle Shop, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale where the original Guy Harvey t-shirts were developed and sold. One of his greatest accomplishments was assisting Dr. Harvey in the founding of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University. He held the position of Vice-President and General Counsel for Guy Harvey, Inc. from its inception through 2001.

Mr. Forman has campaigned world-wide with Dr. Harvey on fishing and diving expeditions to photograph and videotape marine wildlife both above and below the water. He developed the small backpack dive apparatus used for filming free swimming billfish. He did the original Guy Harvey videography and has appeared as celebrity fisherman on the Guy Harvey television series.