Jesse Scheckner
Florida’s top lawyer has a new top lawyer.
Attorney General James Uthmeier just named seasoned lawyer Greg Slemp, who previously worked as Special Counsel on antitrust and consumer protection litigation at his Office, to serve as his General Counsel.
It’s the highest position yet for Slemp, a 17-year veteran of the State Attorney’s Office, where he led Florida’s opioid litigation that resulted in historic settlements for the state.
Slemp has also served as Director of the Office of Public Records. His career also includes working in complex litigation in private practice and clerking for Judge Steven Merryday of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
His prior private sector employers included the law firm of Lowndes Drosdick Doster Kantor & Reed in Orlando, where he concentrated on commercial litigation.
Slemp holds a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree from Southeastern University.
He was admitted to the Florida Bar in April 2001, but has been licensed to practice law for 26 years, having been previously licensed in Missouri, his Lawyers.com bio says.
General Counsel of the Attorney General’s Office isn’t a highly visible title, but the role is vital within the Department of Legal Affairs. As General Counsel, Slemp will be responsible for providing direct legal advice to Uthmeier and senior leadership on law, policy and internal governance matters.
The job also involves managing in-house legal issues, compliance with Florida Statutes, agency rulemaking, contracts, ethics, public records and administrative law questions. The General Counsel often reviews and signs off on high-stakes cases before they are filed, including multistate lawsuits, and coordinates with the Solicitor General — now Henry Whitaker — who handles appellate work and U.S. Supreme Court arguments.
A largely internal-facing position compared to the Solicitor General and Chief Deputy Attorney General posts, the General Counsel’s overall purpose is to ensure the Attorney General’s Office remains legally compliant while pursuing external litigation and policy initiatives.
