BOSTON – February 21, 2008 – LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – Holland & Knight announced today that James E. McDermott, a partner in the firm’s Boston office, has been appointed Section Leader of the firm’s 400-lawyer national Business Law Section by Managing Partner Howell W. Melton, Jr. The appointment is effective immediately.
McDermott replaces Steven Sonberg, a partner in the Miami office who has served as Section Leader for the past five years. Sonberg recently stepped down from the position and is now the firm’s nominee for Managing Partner. The formal election for Managing Partner will take place in March at the firm’s annual meeting.
McDermott has acquired significant leadership experience within the firm in his current position as Practice Group Leader of the Syndication Practice Group. A seasoned business lawyer, McDermott has more than 27 years of legal experience in the corporate arena. His practice has focused primarily on transactions involving financial institutions, syndication firms and other investors in affordable housing and community development.
“With the knowledge and experience gained through his tenure as Syndication Practice Group Leader, Jim is highly qualified to lead our firm’s business lawyers,” said Melton. “Under Jim’s leadership, Holland & Knight’s Syndication practice has experienced strong strategic growth and enjoys a reputation as one of the premier practices of its type in the United States. He has also been successful in attracting talented lawyers to the team. I thank Steve for his outstanding service as Business Law Section Leader for the past five years and look forward to the many contributions Jim will make to the Business Section.”
McDermott is regarded as a national authority on the equity financing of affordable housing projects eligible for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and projects of all types eligible for the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. He is a frequent speaker at industry and legal conferences on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
McDermott is a member of the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development; serves as Vice-President and Director of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition; and is a Director of Preservation Massachusetts, Inc.
About Holland & Knight LLP: Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,150 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Beijing and Mexico City, with representative offices in Caracas and Tel Aviv. Holland & Knight is among the world’s 18 largest firms, providing representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Our interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams ensure clients have access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location. www.hklaw.com
