Former Florida Bar president, Jacksonville native joins firm

Jacksonville native and former Florida Bar President Terrence Russell always knew he wanted to make his way back to his hometown. He’s been practicing in South Florida his entire professional career, but made an agreement with his wife that once his career began to wind down that he’d find his way back home.

The plan is now in motion, with an assist from Fowler White Boggs, which is in the Bank of America tower.

Beginning March 1, Russell will join the firm’s Ft. Lauderdale office and spend the next few years building its South Florida presence before making his way back to Jacksonville. Besides the Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale locations, Fowler White Boggs has offices in Tampa, Fort Myers and Tallahassee.

The move to join the firm was an easy one, said Russell.

“I met Tom Dearing,” said Russell with a smile. “I’ve always known about Fowler Boggs and the great work they do.”

Dearing, a shareholder with the firm, was all smiles himself when discussing the addition of Russell to the Fowler White family.

“He’s had such a distinguished career,” said Dearing. “It was an extremely easy decision ... we couldn’t have found a better fit.”

Russell’s resume is one filled with accolades, including The Florida Bar president, several years on the The Florida Bar board of governors, Broward County Bar Association president, Florida Supreme Court nominating chair, Seventeenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee chair, being the recipient of the Florida Bar’s Medal of Honor and The Florida Bar Foundation’s Presidents’ Award for excellence among others.

Russell will help build the Ft. Lauderdale Fowler White office into something similar in scope to the Jacksonville office, both Russell and Dearing said, before moving home.

“I think it’ll be seamless,” said Russell of the transition aspect of the move. “I have plenty of good friends and family who will help ... and I’m really looking forward to joining this firm.”

As for all those friends and family (“It’ll only take a call or two before word spreads,” he joked) who over the years have told him to make the move home, Russell believes they could change their tune when it happens.

“I’ve got a big family and they’ve all wanted me to come back home,” he said, before joking: “Once I get here, though, they’re all going to tell me to go back.”

dchapman@baileypub.com

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