Brent’s Blog

Putting it out there

Florida cracks down on Hirsch Bedner & Associates!?!?!??

[read comments below]

I recently learned the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design contracts with the law firm of Smith, Thompson, Shaw & Manausa, P.A., to provide investigative and prosecutorial services to the Board.


The law firm provides these services for both licensed and unlicensed interior designers (and architects). So who have they “caught” practicing interior design lately? None other than Hirsch Bedner & Associates the internationally famous hotel design firm.

Yep, the Florida Board has caught themselves a pretty big fish…..Florida’s practice act is nasty…business owners and large corporations apparently are now being forced to hire only licensed Florida interior designers to design their hotels (or those designers will be breaking the law.) Someone needs to challenge this stupid law. This is America … anyone should be able to hire any interior designer they want to.


Hirsch Bedner & Associates

Howard Pharr

Case No. 2007-068978

Probable cause was found that Hirsch Bedner & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia, is not licensed to practice interior design in Florida and contracted to provide interior design services on a commercial project. Further, Hirsch Bedner & Associates is offering these services without a certificate of authorization. An Administrative Complaint seeking fines will be filed and a Notice and Order to Cease and Desist will be issued.


Scroll down this page to find the Hirsch Bedner entry

More disciplinary cases here

July 9, 2008 - Posted by brentwilliams | Stupid Legislation | , , , , , | 2 Comments

2 Comments »

  1. Hi Brent,
    What I want to know is this, who is on defense in Florida? I am not finding the outrage coming from Designers working in Florida. In California, I can’t tell you how quick we were to fight the legislation. What is going on in Florida to reverse this indefensible law? I am speaking up about this all the time to anyone who will listen.

    A Practice Act is redundant. There is no proof that additional legislation will bridge the gap for “Protecting the publics health and safety”, from the existing building codes already in place to protect the publics heath and safety. This is nothing more than a draconian government supported anti-business, anti-consumer monopoly that criminalize hard working people doing what they do best to learn a living.

    Comment by Laurie | July 20, 2008 | Reply

  2. July 24, 2008 (Albany, New York)

    New York State Interior Design Legislation Vetoed by Governor Patterson.

    For the third time, Interior Design Legislation was vetoed in New York. Following the leadership shown by New York Governor Pataki in 2004 and 2005, New York Governor David Patterson rejected the attempt by the Interior Design Cartel (ASID/IIDA/NCIDQ and College Interior Design Schools) to restrict the practice of Interior Design in the State of New York stating that:

    “no evidence has been presented that harm is occuring to the public by the unregulated practice of interior design”.

    Comment by Interior Design Firm | July 27, 2008 | Reply


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