Benjamin Gibson advises businesses, political and nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities on some of Florida’s most complex legal, regulatory, and governmental challenges. He serves as Managing Partner of the Tallahassee office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, Chair of the firm’s Political Law Section and Education Section, and a member of the Governmental Law Practice Group.

Drawing on experience in Florida’s executive, legislative, judicial, and political arenas, Ben helps clients navigate litigation, regulatory challenges, and other significant matters involving legal, governmental, and reputational risks. His practice includes political law, appellate and constitutional litigation, administrative law, government affairs, ethics and compliance matters, and complex disputes involving state government.

Political Law

Ben serves as trusted counsel to numerous candidates, party committees, political committees, corporations, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations, advising on the complex federal, state, and local laws governing their political activity. He represents clients before the Federal Election Commission, Florida Elections Commission, and Florida Commission on Ethics.

For the last five election cycles, Ben has served as General Counsel to the Republican Party of Florida, overseeing litigation, election law strategy, and legal compliance efforts. He has represented presidential, gubernatorial, congressional, and legislative campaigns, including Donald J. Trump for President and Ron DeSantis for Governor, as well as the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and Florida Department of State in significant federal and state election-related litigation.

In 2024, Ben was selected as one of Florida’s 30 presidential electors casting a vote for President and Vice President of the United States in the Electoral College. He also serves as General Counsel to the Republican National Lawyers Association and is a member of the Board of Governors.

Litigation and Government Law

Ben represents state agencies, businesses, educational institutions, and other clients in high-profile litigation, appeals, and administrative proceedings involving constitutional, statutory, and regulatory issues. He also discreetly advises public officials, government agencies, and corporate entities on sensitive ethics compliance, lobbying, financial disclosure requirements, public records and sunshine laws, gift restrictions, and government investigations.

Prior to joining private practice, Ben served in senior legal positions within both the executive and legislative branches of Florida government.

As Deputy General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel to Governor Rick Scott over the course of two terms, he advised the Governor and senior administration officials on major constitutional, litigation, regulatory, and public-policy matters facing the State of Florida. During his tenure, he also interviewed hundreds of judicial nominees and personally advised the Governor on more than 120 judicial appointments to Florida’s trial courts, district courts of appeal, and Supreme Court.

Following his election, Governor-elect Ron DeSantis named Ben the General Counsel to his Transition Team, where he advised on legal matters relating to the executive branch and on the Governor’s appointment of three Florida Supreme Court Justices.

Earlier in his career, Ben served as an attorney in the Florida House of Representatives Office of General Counsel, where he advised House leadership and served as counsel to a House committee helping to analyze and draft major legislation, including the most significant reform of Florida’s growth management laws in more than two decades.

Public Service

Ben has maintained a longstanding commitment to public service throughout his career. From 2017 to 2025, he was appointed by two governors and confirmed by the Florida Senate to serve on Florida’s State Board of Education, where he was elected as the Board’s Chairman and Vice Chairman, helping oversee Florida’s K-12 public education system and State College System during one of the most transformational periods in education policy in Florida. He currently serves on the Judicial Nominating Commission for Florida’s First District Court of Appeal, which nominates individuals to the Governor for appointment to the appellate court and previously served as the Commission’s Chairman.

Clients turn to Ben when trust is paramount, the legal issues are complex, the stakes are significant, and the path forward is not always clear. Drawing on experience in private practice and at the highest levels of Florida government, he helps clients navigate difficult challenges involving litigation, government action, regulatory issues, and public scrutiny.

Credentials

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2008
    • Member, Journal of Transnational Law & Policy, 2006-2008
  • University of Florida, B.A., in Political Science, cum laude, 2005

Bar Admissions

  • Florida

Court Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Professional and Civic

  • First District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by Governor, 2018-present
    • Chair 2020-2021; Vice Chair 2019-2020
  • State Board of Education, appointed by Governor and confirmed by State Senate, 2017-2025
    • Chairman, 2023-2025
    • Vice Chairman, 2021-2023
  • Florida Virtual School, Board of Trustees, 2019-2020
  • Florida Bar Standing Committee on Mental Health & Wellness of Florida Lawyers, 2018-present
  • Florida Bar Special Committee on Mental Health & Wellness of Florida Lawyers, 2017-2018
  • Florida Bar Annual Convention Committee, 2017-present
  • Board of Governors, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division elected from Second Circuit, June 2012-June 2020
    • Executive Committee, 2019-2020; Co-Chair, Legislative Affairs Committee, 2019-2020; Chair, Co-Chair, Health & Wellness Committee, 2015-2019; Chair, Communications Committee, 2014-2015
  • Leadership Florida, Connect Florida Class VII, 2016-2017
  • Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice, appointed by Chief Justice, 2015-2016
  • Tallahassee Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, 2010-2014
  • James Madison Institute, Tallahassee Board of Advisors, 2016-17; Leaders Fellowship Class I, 2014-2015
  • American Enterprise Institute, Leadership Network, Spring 2016
  • Republican National Lawyers Association
    • Florida Chapter Chair, 2021-present
    • General Counsel, 2025-present
    • Board of Governors, 2022-present
    • National Secretary, 2022-2024
  • Federalist Society, Member
  • University of Florida Alumni Association, Member

News & Insights

Presentations

  • Speaker, Bush v. Gore 25 Years Later, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Nashville, TN, August 15, 2025

  • Speaker, A Discussion with Florida’s Top Democratic and Republican Lawyers on the 2024 Election, Florida State College of Law, Tallahassee, FL, November 18, 2024

  • Speaker, Constitutional Amendments on Florida’s 2024 Ballot, Center Right, Tallahassee, FL, September 19, 2024
  • Speaker, Canvassing Board Attorney Training, RNLA Florida Election Integrity CLE, Virtual, September 16, 2024
  • Speaker/Moderator, Parental Rights in Education, Federalist Society 2024 Education Law & Policy Conference, Washington, D.C., September 11, 2024
  • Speaker, Post-Election Legal Procedures: Provisional Ballot Hearings, Rules for the Canvass, and Legal Requirements for Contests and Recounts, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Palm Beach, FL, August 10, 2024
  • Speaker, Florida Election Law Workshop, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Palm Beach, FL, August 9, 2024

  • Speaker, Post-Election Procedures: Canvasses, Recounts, and Contests, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Milwaukee, WI, August 26, 2023

  • Speaker, Local, State, and Federal Protection of Voting Rights and Unequal Enforcement of Election Laws, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Phoenix, AZ, August 13, 2022
  • Speaker, Election Integrity Legislation and Litigation, Sumter County REC, The Villages, FL, April, 7, 2022
  • Speaker, RNLA National Election Law Seminar, Atlanta, GA, August 13-14, 2021
  • Speaker, Florida’s Changing Judiciary and its Impact on Business Recruitment, Enterprise Florida, Inc. Board Meeting, Tallahassee, FL, March 11, 2021
  • Speaker, Post-Election Day Recounts and Litigation, RNLA Florida Training, via web, September 29, 2020
  • Speaker, 2020 Elections- What You Need to Know, Republican Party of Florida Annual Meeting, Jupiter, FL, January 10, 2020
  • Speaker, Florida’s Changing Judiciary—Challenges and Opportunities, Enterprise Florida, Inc. Board Meeting, West Palm Beach, FL, November 13, 2019
  • Speaker, Ethics Compliance for JNC Members, Judicial Nominating Commissioner Training, Tallahassee, FL , October 21, 2019
  • Speaker, What Happened in Florida in 2018: Lessons Learned, Litigation, and the Importance of Good Procedures and Officials Who Follow Them, Republican National Lawyers Association Election Law Seminar, Charlotte, NC, August 2, 2019
  • Speaker, Winning Elections in the Courtroom, Republican National Committee Summer Meeting, Charlotte, NC, July 31, 2019
  • Speaker, Fighting for the Rule of Law: from Recounts to the New Florida Supreme Court, The Federalist Society- Tampa Bay Lawyers Chapter, Tampa, FL, April 4, 2019
  • Speaker, Building a Diverse Legal Practice, Florida State Law, Student Bar Association, Tallahassee, FL, February 26, 2019
  • Speaker, Evening with the Bench and Bar, Justice Alan Lawson and Ben Gibson, Florida State Law, Tallahassee, FL, January 22, 2019
  • Speaker, Election Day Operations Lawyer Training, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Orlando, FL and Tallahassee, FL, October 2018
  • Speaker, Election Law Compliance for Republican Executive Committees, Republican Party of Florida Quarterly Meeting, Tampa, FL, April 6, 2018
  • Speaker, Public Records and the Judicial Nominating Commissions, Judicial Nominating Commissioner Training, Orlando, FL, February 2, 2018
  • Speaker, Public Records and Ethics Compliance under Florida Law, Enterprise Florida, Inc., Employee Training, Orlando, FL, January 19, 2018
  • Speaker, Sunshine Law and Public Records, Florida Sports Foundation, Inc., Board Member Training, Orlando, FL, November 10, 2017
  • Speaker, Article I, Section 3, Blaine Amendment, Florida Constitution Revision Commission, Declaration of Rights Committee, Tallahassee, FL, November 29, 2017
  • Speaker, School Choice and the Florida Constitution, Florida Constitution Revision Commission, Education Committee, Tallahassee, FL, November 27, 2017
  • Speaker, Article IX of the Florida Constitution, Education, Florida Constitution Revision Commission Training, via web, September 19, 2017
  • Speaker, Campaign Legal Pitfalls, Republican Party of Florida Quarterly Meeting, Orlando, FL, August 11, 2017
  • Speaker, Public Records and Ethics, Florida Constitution Revision Commission Organization Meeting, Senate Chambers, March 20, 2017

Publications

News & Speaking Engagements

Media Mentions

Media Mentions

Accolades

  • Florida Trend, Florida 500 - 2025
  • The News Service of Florida - "40 Under 40: Rising Stars," 2024
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • Government Relations Practice, 2024, 2025, 2026
    • Administrative / Regulatory Law, 2026
  • INFLUENCE Magazine's INFLUENCE 150 List - "The 150 Most Influential People in Florida Politics", 2022
  • INFLUENCE Magazine's INFLUENCE 100 List - "The 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics", 2020
  • Florida Trend's Legal Elite NOTABLE Managing Partners, 2024
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Top Government Attorneys, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017
  • Florida State University Alumni Association, “Thirty Under 30” Award, 2013

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Shutts & Bowen, established in 1910, is a full-service business law firm with approximately 280 lawyers located in eight offices across Florida.

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