In a memo to staff last week, managing partner Howell "Hal" Melton Jr. said that while he is confident he could win a second five-year term, he wants to avoid "dragging our firm through a potentially divisive election" and wishes to spend more time with his family. His successor will be chosen next month at the 1,150-lawyer firm's annual partners' meeting in Orlando.
The surprise announcement marks an end to a turbulent era in the firm's history. Elected in 2003, Melton earned both praise and scorn for a series of decisions that boosted Holland & Knight's profitability at the expense of rank-and-file morale. The 56-year-old Winter Haven resident closed underperforming offices, demanded lawyers work longer hours, made it harder for associates to become partners and forced out some older, less productive attorneys.
Supporters say Melton showed courage in undoing some of the perceived damage done by former managing partner and gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride, who oversaw a rapid expansion of the firm in the 1990s while emphasizing heart over money. McBride's legacy included a short-lived, $12-an-hour minimum wage for staff, partner benefits for gay and lesbian employees and profits that consistently ranked near the bottom among the nation's largest law firms.