Veterans Day Tribute

Holland & Knight's Veterans Group was founded on the fundamental premise that those who have served our country and defended our freedoms deserve our talent and resources to improve their quality of life. Here at Holland & Knight, we believe that veterans should be supported and celebrated, not only on Veterans Day, but every day. From its inception, Holland & Knight was founded on the values of the United States military. Founding Partners Spessard Holland and John Germany, along with the firm's first managing partner, Chesterfield Smith, all served in the United States Army.

Our Veterans Group's goal is "Do Good Work." And that mission is accomplished by raising awareness and by providing pro bono and community service for veterans and their families, in the cities and surrounding areas where each of our offices are located throughout the country. Since 2016, our firm has devoted more than 42,000 pro bono hours with a total value of more than $28 million. And our attorneys and staff have prepared and delivered care packages to service members deployed around the globe. Last year alone, members of our firm dedicated over 5,000 hours toward veteran and military-related pro bono matters, which reached a value of over $4 million. Holland & Knight received the Outstanding Services Award from the ABA Military and Veterans Legal Center's Military Pro Bono Project, and several of our attorneys were recognized individually for their extraordinary pro bono services. Our Veterans Group is at the forefront of military and veteran initiatives nationwide, and we are fortunate to collaborate with many organizations that share our core values. At Holland & Knight, we honor the courageous efforts of all veterans, including our very own.

3:09 - Ivey Salas: My mom is the reason that I joined the Air Force. She pushed me to join the military all throughout high school. My mom knew that the military would give me the ability to reach my full potential, get out of my hometown and be independent. I'm so thankful that she pushed me in that direction because everything I have is thanks to the Air Force. I served six years active duty and then transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in December of 2021. Since I've been in the Air Force, I've deployed twice, both times to the Middle East. I'm still very thankful for the opportunity to serve and for the opportunity to grow and learn. To veterans. I want to say, you know, people are here for you and they care about you. Let them help you. But also, just on the other side, someone who hasn't served in the military before, understanding that the mindset is just different. Doing good work always starts with being kind to those around you. And I like to encourage everyone to not talk yourself out of it, to actually do that, you know, go reach out and try to be a listening ear or a helping hand for someone.

4:41 - Elliott Diaz: I served in the United States Army from 1980 to 1988. I was stationed in West Germany, and my final duty station was at the Electronic Proving Grounds at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where I tested the maintainability and logistics support ability for electronics being tested by the United States Army. The skills that I gained while I was in the United States Army was leadership skills, skills in technical skills, skills that let me understand what network infrastructures were and what they are. The military and my advanced training gave me the background for this type of work that I do at Holland & Knight. My parents were pastors of the Salvation Army, so my family was gravitated towards that side of ministry. And so serving in the Salvation Army as a soldier and then going out and doing good works in the community for all sorts of different types of initiatives over the years, that's been my task. Well, I want to say to the firm veterans, I thank you for taking the time, taking the risk and the energy to protect the United States of America.

7:12 - Sean Pribyl: I spent six years as a Coast Guard Judge Advocate, or JAG, on active duty, and prior to that, 12 years in the Navy Reserve as an officer in the Strategic Sealift Command. It was challenging, to say the least. It was a lot of communication with my wife and explaining when I could be present and when I had the other demand. But at the end I can look back and I'm grateful for the opportunities that the military gave me. When you're in the military, you're never really off duty. You carry it with you wherever you go. You try to serve as an example to others in particular. So I spent a lot of time outside of practice, and prior to joining Holland & Knight, talking to veterans that were interested in pursuing different career paths and just trying to, in a way, pay it forward. I had a number of people that helped me through my career, that helped me achieve my goals, and I'm happy always to try to impart some of that knowledge on to others. I think that mentorship is incredibly important in the practice of law. I think every opportunity that I have, I try to do that. Anything that people can do to be a mentor is, I think, critical.

8:37 - Mamie Joeveer: I was a United States Marine. I served in the Marine Corps for four years active, and then I did reserve. After graduation, I went to the basic school in Quantico, Virginia. I was commissioned lieutenant and eventually achieved the rank of captain. The Marine Corps has always had a very special place in my family. My father was a part of the Marine Corps, so I think that really had a big impact on me, really, just some of the stories he shared and learning about the values that the Marine Corps had instilled upon him. There are so many skills one gains from being a part of such an organization that's so like banded together and that has a mission that's so rare or has a storied history. Holland & Knight is very intentional about what they do for veterans and how they support veterans. It's probably one of the only private law firms in the nation that is so intentional and so organized in that aspect. Serving the veterans is very important to stay abreast of the changing laws, the issues that veterans face and also being engaged with the veterans community. All of that is very important to support.

10:11 - Jonathan Epstein: After college I went into officer candidate school and became a surface warfare officer. I spent three and a half years on a U.S. Navy destroyer, and then I got off active duty and stayed in the Reserves for another five or six years. To go through all the qualifications, I had to learn celestial navigation, you know, shooting the stars with a sextant and a whole host of other subjects. So I come from a Jewish family and a lot of my distant relatives died in the Holocaust. A lot of my older uncles all volunteered to fight in World War II, and I found that very compelling. And so I kind of wanted to be able to defend my family and defend my country. And I thought that was an honorable thing to serve. I also wanted to go to sea, I really always loved the sea and wanted to go to sea. I'm still a sailor. I still race sailboats to this day. There's a local food bank near here called Manna Food Bank. I'm one of the volunteer leaders, so I got my kids doing it and I do it with my wife. And that to me feels really good. You're doing something that's very direct. But again, I think the idea of the Veterans Group is you always continue to serve your community and your country.