Diversity: Fowler White Boggs P.A.

Mission Statement

Fowler White Boggs P.A. strives to be the leader among law firms embracing diversity. Fowler White is proud of its commitment of ensuring equal opportunities for success within the firm. We successfully promote diversity through active recruitment, development, and retention of a diverse group of people. The firm’s workforce -- lawyers and staff -- throughout each of its offices, reflects these varied cultures. Our wide-ranging talent pool merges diverse experiences, rich cultures, and varied educational backgrounds.  

Ensuring Our Commitment

In order to ensure our commitment, Fowler White’s Diversity Committee develops and implements firmwide programs which foster an environment of acceptance and the inclusion of individuals with diverse characteristics. The Diversity Committee, led by shareholders Olga Pina and Julie Sneed who serve as the firm’s Diversity Co-Chairs, oversees all diversity initiatives and reinforces our collective efforts both within the community and the firm. With the Committee’s guidance, attorneys and staff regularly participate in diversity programs, trainings, events, sponsorships, and leadership seminars.

As we grow, we remain committed to our mission, by continually searching for ways to broaden and enhance our diversity-initiative efforts.  Fowler White commits to reflect and to provide, to both clients and employees, the benefits of a well-balanced law firm in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, marital status, economic background and life experiences.  At Fowler White, we strive to internally raise awareness of the benefits of a diverse workforce and to provide an environment allowing each individual to succeed.

Fostering Diversity

Fowler White is firmly committed to promoting diversity within the legal profession. We sponsor, participate in and support various diversity initiatives and diversity-related organizations and programs on a local, regional, and national level. Our affiliations include:

• Minority job fairs at local law schools: Florida A&M University, Southeastern Minority Job fair, and The Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA) Southern Regional Job fair.
• Events for the George Edgecomb Bar Association (GEBA), a local bar association dedicated to the promotion and recognition of African-Americans within the legal profession and the judiciary.
• Meetings for the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
• In 2005, Rhea Law, the firm’s first female president and CEO, participated in The Florida Bar’s Diversity Symposium as a guest speaker. The Florida Bar also featured Ms. Law in a video to promote the value of diversity within the legal community.
• The Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL), Tallahassee Women Lawyers, and other women’s initiative organizations in each of our markets.
• As an active member of the U.S. Law Firm Group (USLFG), Fowler White is a proud participant of USLFG’s Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CORED)., a shareholder in our Tampa office, serves on this committee to address minority retention, recruitment issues, and proper mentoring and promotion of minority lawyers. CORED meets twice a year.

Timeline

1943
Morris White and Cody Fowler form partnership.

1944
The firm welcomes its first female attorney, Caroline Adams. Soon thereafter, Wilhelmina Hawkins, the second female attorney joins the firm.

1953
Josephine Howard Stafford joined the firm.  Ms. Stafford became the first female judge in Hillsborough County.

1959
Personally appointed by Governor LeRoy Collins, founder Cody Fowler serves as chairman of Tampa’s Bi-Racial Committee until 1964. The organization sought to ease racial integration in Tampa.

1961
E. Jackson Boggs joins the firm.  

1963
Fowler White welcomes Doris A. Dudney, the firm’s fourth female attorney.

1964
Cody Fowler becomes an avid part of the city’s Commission on Community Relations (until 1967).

1966
Cody Fowler receives the American Bar Association’s Gavel Award for urging the modernization of Florida’s judicial system and the non-partisan selection of judges.

1967
Tampa Bay’s Bi-Racial Committee and the Community Relations Commission jointly receive the nationally prized Lane Bryant Award. Attorney Cody Fowler as chairman of the Bi-Racial Committee accepts the grant and plaque.

1970
Cody Fowler receives Tampa Bay’s Silver Medallion Humanitarian Award for all of his contributions to promote dialogue and respect among cultures, religions, and races. The Christian-Jewish Conference also honors Fowler with the National Brotherhood Award for distinguished service in the field of human relations.

1981
Ft. Myers office opens by merging with James H. McNeil, P.A. The law firm of Dixon, Lawson, Brown joins in April. 

1982
First Hispanic Shareholder is named.

1984
Women’s Marketing/Mentoring group informally formed.

1986
Tallahassee office opens.

2001
First formal diversity training program introduced at attorney retreat.

2002
In May, the firm names it first female president and CEO, Rhea Law. According to Florida Trend magazine, Law was the only female to head one of Florida’s 25 largest law firms at the time.

2002
First African American Female Shareholder named.

2004
Jacksonville office opens.

2005
Diversity Committee officially formed.

2006
FWB merges with Robison & Folk to open a Boca Raton office.

2007
Boca Raton office relocates to Ft. Lauderdale.

2008
The firm celebrates its 65th anniversary.

Diversity Committee

Fowler White’s Diversity Committee fosters diversity initiatives, institutes the firm’s various diversity programs, and supports diversity-related charitable and community organizations. The Diversity Committee is a reflection of Fowler White’s commitment to diversity at all levels of the firm, for the members include staff, associates, and shareholders alike. Members also represent our various offices: Tampa, Fort Myers, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale.

Beveridge, Cathy J.

Brewer, SPHR, Deborah J.

Brock, Heather B.

Brodeen, Karen A.

Flynn, III, William J.

Gwinn, Heather M.

Kella, Seema

Lahlou-Amine, Sarah

McIntosh Jr., Corris L.

Pina, Olga M.

Pressley, Jr., Fred N.

Sandridge, Hala A.

Sneed, Julie Simone

Tayon, Kathy J.

Upshaw-Frazier, Rena

Diversity Awards & Recognition

The Firm

• The eWomen Network awarded Fowler White Boggs as the Company Most Supportive of Women in Business.  eWomen Network is an international women's business group with 114 chapters including Tampa/St. Petersburg.
• Fowler White Boggs is pleased to announce that nine attorneys have been named to Florida Super Lawyers' 2009 list of "Florida Rising Stars." Keith T. Appleby (Tampa), Ceci Berman (Tampa), Melissa A. Dearing (Jacksonville), Christina Johnson-Boyce (Tampa), Michael S. Lamont (Fort Lauderdale), Maya M. Lockwood (Tampa), Jaime A. Maurer (Fort Myers), Julie Simone Sneed (Tampa) and Lindsey R. Trowell (Jacksonville). This list recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state -- those who are 40 years old or younger, or those who have been practicing for 10 years or less.
• Four Fowler White women attorneys were selected by their peers as Florida Trends Magazine’s 2009 Florida Legal Elite, a select group comprising the top two percent of lawyers practicing in Florida. Both Rhea F. Law and Linda Loomis Shelley were also elected to the newly introduced "Hall of Fame" Category.
• Chambers USA 2009 selected five women practitioners as American’s Leading Business Lawyers.
• Florida Super Lawyers 2009 selected seven Fowler White women attorneys, both Cathy J. Beveridge and Hala A. Sandridge were listed among the top 50 female Florida Super lawyers.
• The Best Lawyers in America 2009 Edition selected 11 Fowler White women attorneys.
• Finalist for 2009 Tampa Bay Business Journal Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Individuals

• Julie Sneed, a shareholder with the law firm of Fowler White Boggs, has been appointed Co-Chair of the ABA Section of Litigation Minority Trial Lawyer Committee for the 2009-2010 term.  The Committee aims to contribute to minority communities by facilitating discussion of the impact of race on the law, addressing issues of racial bias in the courts and the profession, and promoting programs to prepare minority students.
• Additionally, Ms. Sneed was appointed to the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees for the 2009-2010 term.  The mission of the foundation is to support and promote programs and projects which encourage assistance to the poor and disadvantaged, primarily with regard to their legal needs and to educate the public about the legal system.
• The Commonwealth Institute recognized Rhea F. Law, Chair of the Board and CEO of Fowler White Boggs, as one of the top women business leaders in Florida.
• Rena Upshaw-Frazier, an associate with the law firm of Fowler White Boggs, has been selected co-chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section and will serve a two year term.
• Julie Sneed was selected as a Finalist Civic Young Professional of the Year Award in June 2009 by the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
• Florida Trend Magazine named Tirso Carreja and Ceci Berman as “Up and Coming Legal Elite”.
• Sarah Lahlou-Amine and Kelly Robinson both received the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award.
• In 2008, Chambers USA listed Fowler White’s CEO, Rhea Law, as a leading Zoning/Land Use lawyer in the state of Florida. Tampa Bay CEO Magazine also named Ms. Law as 2008’s Tampa Bay CEO of the Year.
• The University of South Florida appointed Jason Liu, to the Advisory Board of the USF Center for Entrepreneurship.
• In 2008, Florida Super Lawyers honored the following attorneys: Heather Brock, Amelia Campbell, Rhea Law, Paul Pizzo, Linda Shelley, and Denise Wheeler.
• Olga Pina was a 2007 finalist for Tampa Bay International Woman of the Year, and she also received the 2003 Tampa Bay Legal Elite Award.
• The Florida Bar recognized Hala Sandridge with the Pro Bono Service Award for her individual services in each of Florida’s jurisdictional circuits. The Hillsborough County Bar Association also bestowed Ms. Sandridge with the Jimmy Kynes Pro Bono Award for her numerous hours devoted to appeals representing low income residents.