Personnel note: Former DBPR head Halsey Beshears joins Spiritus Law as top lobbyist

Congratulations to Halsey Beshears on his new gig

Florida’s former business regulation chief Halsey Beshears has a new lobbying gig with Spiritus Law focusing on government relations for clients in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Beshears, Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ former Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, departed the administration early last year, citing personal health issues. Before joining the executive branch as one of DeSantis’ first agency-head selections, the Monticello Republican represented 10 counties across North Florida in the Florida House from 2012 to 2019.

At Spiritus Law — a Coral Gables-based firm specializing in serving highly regulated industries like alcohol licensing and food service law — Beshears will chair the firm’s lobbying and government relations practice.

“I am thrilled to be joining a dynamic firm like Spiritus Law and I am excited to help the firm grow its government relations services,” Beshears said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working closely with the firm’s clients to advocate for sensible short- and long-term solutions for regulatory issues.”

Beshears’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic largely defined his two-year tenure as DBPR Secretary. Alongside DeSantis, Beshears oversaw the closure and reopening of businesses statewide during pandemic lockdowns.

But since leaving the administration, Beshears has been scrutinized for his ties to embattled Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg. Court documents confirmed Beshears was on the subpoena list in the probe, which has encompassed charges for sex trafficking of a minor and investigations into Florida’s medical marijuana industry.

When Beshears was a lawmaker, his family’s long-standing nursery was awarded one of five licenses to cultivate and dispense medical marijuana. The contract was made possible by a law, which Beshears voted for, that put the nursery on a shortlist of nurseries meeting state standards.

As DBPR Secretary, Beshears spearheaded Florida’s drinks-to-go policy, which was later enshrined in the Florida Statutes.

In one June 2020 episode, DBPR closed bars for a second time as COVID-19 cases rebounded — just three weeks after bars initially reopened. Beshears took to Twitter, apologetically defending the decision, and both Beshears and DeSantis said the order originated from DBPR, not the Governor’s Office.

Beshears holds a bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State University and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Florida.

“Halsey brings to Spiritus Law tremendous experience as both a legislator and lead of a state regulatory body that will be a valuable asset for our clients,” said Robert Lewis, co-founding partner of Spiritus Law. “He not only has a wealth of relationships in Tallahassee but he also has an intimate knowledge of regulatory laws and a unique ability to bring people to the table. Those are true assets to our clients who are interested in long-term changes and solutions that would allow them to reposition their operations much faster in the event of another pandemic. Halsey will work closely with Florida agencies and elected officials to address their concerns.”