Former GrayRobinson litigation attorney and lobbyist George Meros has joined Holland & Knight's Tallahassee office as a partner.

Meros represented the state Senate in its investigation of Sen. Jack Latvala, who resigned last month after a serial sexual harassment probe, and was lead counsel for the state House as it developed and litigated the state's 2010 legislative redistricting plan.

He represents private clients, including Fortune 500 companies and state and national health care companies, on regulatory compliance, complex civil litigation and government affairs. He has also represented educational institutions and local governments.

George Meros

“You find very few people who are successful both as lobbyists and as litigators,” said Karen Walker, executive partner of Holland & Knight's Tallahassee office and part of the public policy and regulation practice group for the firm. “He's someone who we identified for a long time as someone who would like to make our partner and the time was right for us.”

Walker said Meros is one of the most respected and well-connected lawyers in Tallahassee, with strong relationships within current state leadership.

The expansion of Holland & Knight's litigation and Florida government advocacy practices in Tallahassee office comes on the heels of McGuireWoods Consulting, the national government lobbying subsidiary of the law firm by the same name, opening a Tallahassee office with the acquisition of three-member lobbying firm Advantage Consulting Team. Walker said Meros' hire was unrelated to the McGuireWoods expansion, and she only learned of the McGuireWoods opening Wednesday.