Former U.S. Representative Ron Klein Joins Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – March 14, 2011 – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that former U.S. Representative Ron Klein (D-FL) has joined the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group as a partner. Klein will play a major role providing strategic counsel to clients in the area of government regulation and compliance in the financial services, healthcare and energy sectors. He will split his time among the firm's three offices in South Florida and its Washington, D.C. office.
Klein is the latest addition to Holland & Knight's growing Florida Government Advocacy Team, covering matters in Tallahassee and D.C. That team includes former Florida Governor Bob Martinez; former U.S. Representative Jim Davis; Eric Eikenberg, former Chief of Staff to Florida Governor Charlie Crist; Kerry Feehery, former Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator George LeMieux; and Karl Koch, former Chief of Staff to Congressman Jim Davis.
"Klein is a respected leader with a history of cultivating relationships on both sides of the aisle in the Florida Legislature and the Congress," said Rich Gold, Chair of Holland & Knight's Public Policy and Regulation Group. "His experience as a business lawyer and an elected official makes him a valuable resource for the firm's clients as they navigate the changing relationship between business and government."
"Holland & Knight impressed me on many levels," said Klein. "This is a firm that understands business and has the legal talent and diverse skill sets to effectively advocate for clients in a variety of industries. I'm proud to be continuing my practice with a firm I hold in such high-esteem and look forward to putting my government experience to work for the businesses community."
Klein most recently served as the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District from 2006 through 2010. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee, he was instrumental in drafting and passing major pieces of legislation including the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) and the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010. Due to his background with healthcare businesses and regulation, Klein was also an active participant in the negotiation and passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He also served as co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Energy Task Force, which promoted passage of a number of legislative initiatives relating to research and commercialization of alternative energy.
From 1992 through 2006, Klein represented South Florida as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Senate, serving on a number of committees and in various leadership positions, including as the Democratic Leader in the Florida Senate. Before joining the public sector, Klein served as a business lawyer in South Florida for more than 20 years representing a variety of clients in corporate, financial services, real estate and healthcare matters.
He received his B.A. from The Ohio State University and his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University College of Law.