William Shepherd Named Chair of American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section

West Palm Beach, Fla. – August 7, 2012 – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that William Shepherd, a partner in the firm's West Palm Beach office, has been named chair of the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section. His one-year term begins on August 7, 2012.

The Criminal Justice Section is the unified voice of criminal justice and has more than 20,000 members including prosecutors, defense counsel, appellate and trial judges, law professors, members of law enforcement, and law students.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight last year, Mr. Shepherd served nearly a dozen years as a prosecutor culminating in his appointment by the Florida Attorney General. As Florida's Statewide Prosecutor, he led eight offices throughout Florida in the investigation and prosecution of multi-circuit criminal activity.

"It is a true honor to have been elected by my peers from around the country and to follow in the footsteps of some real legends in the bar," said Mr. Shepherd. "We have an ambitious agenda for the year ahead."

Mr. Shepherd is a member of Holland & Knight's national White Collar Defense Team and focuses on defending individuals and corporations in state and federal criminal matters and conducting sensitive internal investigations.

"Not only is this a great honor for Bill, but it is a tribute to our firm and our national White Collar Defense Team to have one of our partners lead the ABA in this important role," said John Hogan, chair of Holland & Knight's Litigation Section. "Holland & Knight has a long tradition of service to the bar, with two of our partners having served as ABA presidents, and this is just another example of our firm's commitment to improving justice for all."