Akerman Senterfitt's Joseph Hatchett Receives NAACP's William Robert Ming Advocacy Award
(PRWEB) July 19, 2013 -- Akerman Senterfitt today announced that Joseph Hatchett, co-chair of the firm's Appellate Practice, has been honored with the NAACP 2013 Annual William Robert Ming Advocacy Award for his dedication and sacrifice to his profession.
The Award is given annually by the NAACP to a lawyer who exemplifies the same spirit of financial and personal sacrifice that Ming displayed in his legal work for the NAACP. Ming is best remembered as a member of the litigation team that achieved the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Hatchett, who also serves as co-chair of Akerman's Diversity Committee, began his career as a civil rights lawyer in Florida. He became the first African-American elected to the highest court of a state since Reconstruction when Governor Reuben Askew appointed him to the Florida Supreme Court in 1975. He later served as Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The National Bar Association (NBA) inducted Hatchett into its Hall of Fame in recognition of more than 40 years of dedication to the cause of justice and equality before the U.S. Courts, and on behalf of the African-American community. Additionally, the NBA honored him with the Spirit of Excellence Award, which is presented annually to exceptional lawyers who have made significant contributions to the promotion of racial and ethnic diversity.
Hatchett was presented with the award during the 104th Annual National Convention on Monday, July 15th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
The Akerman Litigation Practice Group is recognized nationally by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in the Commercial Litigation category and as a national tier one law firm for International Arbitration. The team has vast experience in a wide range of civil and criminal litigation, including actions involving banking, securities, healthcare, insurance, real estate and construction.
About Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 550 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 19 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal NLJ 350 (2013). Akerman also is ranked among the top 100 law firms for diversity by MultiCultural Law magazine (2012) and recognized as the Law Firm of the Year for Diversity – South by Benchmark Litigation (2012). More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.
Marlisa Serrano, Akerman Senterfitt, http://www.akerman.com, 305-349-4946, [email protected]
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