Holland & Knight Attorneys Named as Finalists for 2013 Chambers USA "Women in Law" Awards

MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Holland & Knight partners are finalists in the prestigious 2013 Chambers USA "Women in Law" Awards. Janis Boyarsky Schiff, from the Washington, D.C. office, is a finalist in the category of "Real Estate Lawyer of the Year." Susan J. Booth, from the Los Angeles office, is a finalist in the "Up and Coming Real Estate Lawyer of the Year" category. The selection criteria for these national awards include practice area success and involvement in gender diversity and equality, mentoring, public service and social activism.

With more than 25 years of experience, Ms. Schiff is widely recognized as a leading real estate lawyer. She serves as Holland & Knight's client service and development partner and is the immediate past chair of the firm's Real Estate Section. She also coordinates the firm's Rising Stars mentoring and leadership program for female lawyers, which she founded, and is active in Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), an organization dedicated to the advancement of women in the industry. In 2004, CREW's District of Columbia Chapter honored her with its Outstanding Achievement Award.

Ms. Booth, who heads Holland & Knight's West Coast Real Estate Group, is among the most prominent real estate attorneys in the region. In 2012, CREW chose her as one of the "Women at the Top" and the city of Los Angeles gave her a commendation for her impact on commercial real estate. In addition, she served as chairman of this year's Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium on Real Estate Law and Business, the foremost conference of its type in California. Ms. Booth is a member of Holland & Knight's Directors' Committee and is active in the firm's Rising Stars program. 

The awards ceremony for the Chambers USA "Women in Law" Awards will be held on January 15, 2013, at the Harvard Club of New York City.

Holland & Knight lawyers have served the real estate industry for more than 100 years. Our award-winning real estate practice is one of the largest of any law firm in the United States, with more than 200 lawyers who work in collaboration to address all the legal needs of clients engaged in the development, construction and operation of real estate projects around the globe. Most recently, U.S. News – Best Lawyers named Holland & Knight the "2013 Law Firm of the Year" in Real Estate Law. The practice also earned first-tier rankings in nine metropolitan markets.

About Holland & Knight LLP:  Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices as well as Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Mexico City. The firm is among the nation's largest law firms, providing representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location. www.hklaw.com

SOURCE Holland & Knight LLP