Palm Beach Civic Association: Town Attorney Joanne O’Connor on Federal Beach Access Ruling

In her role as Town Attorney for the Town of Palm Beach, Jones Foster shareholder Joanne M. O’Connor, a Florida Bar Board Certified Business litigation attorney, was featured in the Palm Beach Civic Association’s reportage of the Town’s successful defense against a federal takings claim involving public access to privately owned beachfront property.

In the July 2026 Our Town column by William Kelly, Ms. O’Connor explained the distinction between property ownership and the public’s right to use the property, telling the Civic Association: “The question is whether the public acquired the right to use that beach for traditional recreational purposes.” She added that the ruling means “the public can continue to do those recreational activities and neither the private property owners nor the town can tell them to leave.”

Jones Foster litigation attorneys Roberto M. Vargas and Lainey W. Francisco also represented the Town in the bench trial. The federal ruling is one of two recent victories for the Town involving public use of the same stretch of beachfront. Ms. O’Connor also successfully represented the Town in a related state court dispute, in which the court similarly found that the public had acquired customary use rights to the beach.

Read the full article: Our Town by William Kelly: Judge rules public can use private beach property