Litigation Partner Jeremy Ches Returns to Holland & Knight in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2026) – Holland & Knight has announced that seasoned healthcare litigator Jeremy Ches is returning to its North Florida Litigation Practice Group as a partner in Jacksonville. Mr. Ches most recently served as senior counsel at Florida Blue, a subsidiary of GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation.

Mr. Ches served as senior counsel on GuideWell's Litigation Management Team for more than 10 years, where he managed high-risk litigation for a more than $30 billion/year health solutions enterprise – including payment disputes, putative class actions, government investigations and regulatory questions – helping mitigate enterprise risk by almost $1 billion during his tenure. He also founded and led GuideWell's Affirmative Recovery Program, which leverages the legal system to recoup financial losses caused by fraud, waste and abuse, anticompetitive behaviors, business torts and other wrongful conduct committed against the enterprise.

Mr. Ches' addition to the North Florida Litigation Practice Group follows that of Partner and former U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney Jessica Sievert, who joined the Jacksonville office in June 2025.

"Jeremy is exceptionally well regarded in the Jacksonville legal community and the healthcare industry, and his extensive litigation experience, healthcare knowledge and demonstrated leadership make him an outstanding addition," said Timothy Conner, head of Holland & Knight's North Florida Litigation Practice Group. "His return to the Firm represents an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Jacksonville office, expand our healthcare and asset recovery capabilities, and support the Firm's long-term growth strategy. We are excited to welcome Jeremy back to Holland & Knight."

Mr. Ches initially joined Holland & Knight in 2006 before leaving to work for Florida Blue in 2016. Mr. Ches started his legal career as an assistant state attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Florida from 2003 through 2006. At the Office of the State Attorney of Florida, he managed hundreds of cases from inception through resolution, including handling all hearings, depositions and trials.

At Holland & Knight, Mr. Ches will return to his sophisticated commercial litigation practice, with a focus on advising healthcare and other highly regulated industry clients on business and contract disputes, government investigations, putative class actions and regulatory compliance matters. He will also use his extensive experience in affirmative recovery claims to help clients identify opportunities and drive revenue by recouping past losses and damages.

"Returning to Holland & Knight feels like a natural next step in my career. After nearly a decade in a senior in‑house role at a major health solutions enterprise, I look forward to leveraging my experience in healthcare, complex litigation and affirmative recovery to help grow the Firm's capabilities," said Mr. Ches. "I'm excited to reconnect with my colleagues in Jacksonville and contribute to the Firm's continued growth and remarkable reputation."

In the community, Mr. Ches currently serves on boards for the Donna Foundation and Jacksonville Country Day School. He is also a former president of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and a founding member and inaugural chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation board for Northeast Florida. He is a member of Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2016 and was named to Jacksonville Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list in 2014.

Mr. Ches received a J.D. degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and a B.S. degree from Fordham University. He is admitted to practice law in Florida and New York.