Holland & Knight Announces New Diversity Partner

WASHINGTON (June 20, 2024) – O'Kelly E. McWilliams III, a partner in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office, has been named the firm's new Diversity Partner. In that role, he will chair Holland & Knight's Diversity Council and lead the firm's award-winning Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Mr. McWilliams joined Holland & Knight in 2022 and is the leader of the firm's DEI Task Force, a group that answers clients' questions and helps them navigate compliance regarding their DEI commitments. Throughout his career, Mr. McWilliams has led DEI efforts in various capacities, including as a law firm partner and as a member of various corporate and nonprofit boards, enhancing their DEI and environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies.

He assumes the role from Tiffani G. Lee, who has led the firm's DEI initiatives since 2008. In April, Ms. Lee became Holland & Knight's Deputy Managing Partner.

"O'Kelly has been a DEI champion and thought leader throughout his legal career," said Ms. Lee. "I'm confident that he will further advance our DEI efforts in a way that strengthens the firm and its client relationships."

"Tiffani is a trailblazer in the legal profession, and her tenure has produced impressive results and recognition," said Mr. McWilliams. "However, Tiffani's real legacy is the impact she's made on individuals at our firm. There are so many talented lawyers from underrepresented groups whose career trajectories have benefited from programs and policies that Tiffani has championed. I'm honored to build on the progress she has made."

Mr. McWilliams collaborates with some of the world's leading companies, asset managers and emerging businesses to advance their business objectives and mitigate risk. He primarily handles the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other corporate transactions as well as employment disputes, internal investigations and compensation matters.

Mr. McWilliams is recognized as a leading labor and employment attorney by The Best Lawyers in America and Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers. He earned a J.D. degree from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and a B.B.A. degree from Longwood University.

Inclusion in Action @ Holland & Knight

Holland & Knight is committed to developing an organization and a culture where all talented individuals – including those traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession – can have a path to long-term success.

We are committed to these efforts because diverse and inclusive teams reflect the world we serve and produce better results for our clients. As such, here are some of the firm's most significant recent achievements:

• Law360 ranks Holland & Knight within the top 10 firms for the most diverse equity partnership.
• Holland & Knight has been Mansfield Rule Certified for six straight years, five of those as "Mansfield Rule Certified Plus" (2018-present).
• Holland & Knight was recognized as one of the 2024 "Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity" by Seramount for using best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers and lawyers from underrepresented groups.
• The Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index in 2023-2024 gave Holland & Knight a perfect score for Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality for the ninth time.
• Since 2017, 50 percent of Holland & Knight's newly promoted partners have been diverse, based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or veteran status.

Learn more about Holland & Knight's approach to DEI here.