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Sept. 7, 2005
TALLAHASSEE, FL.
– The Florida Justice Reform Institute (FJRI) will
continue its aggressive pursuit of judicial fairness and balance
under the leadership of its newly selected president, William
Large, former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Jeb Bush.
FJRI is Florida’s
leading organization committed to meaningful and long-term legal
reforms that will benefit all Floridians. The organization will
benefit from Large’s extensive experience in legal reform
issues.
Large will begin
leading FJRI Monday, Sept. 12.
Before becoming a
deputy chief of staff, Large served as one of Bush’s chief
counselors as lawmakers negotiated reforms of the state’s
medical malpractice laws. As the Department of Health’s general
counsel from March 2000 until June 2004 and director of the
Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Professional Liability
Insurance, Large played a vital role in ensuring the Governor’s
medical malpractice reform initiatives were approved by the
Florida Legislature.
“His strong legal
background combined with his intimate knowledge of Florida’s
political landscape and his experience during the 2003 medical
malpractice debate made William the obvious choice to lead the
Florida Justice Reform Institute,’’ said Tom James, chairman and
chief executive officer of Raymond James Financial, Inc., and
chairman of FJRI’s board of directors.
As president, Large
will help FJRI build on the successes achieved during last
year’s legislative session and continue to push for even more
far-reaching litigation reforms that support Florida’s robust
business climate.
“William Large is an
excellent choice to lead the Florida Justice Reform Institute's
pursuit of common sense legal reform,” said Gov. Jeb Bush. “As
my Deputy Chief of Staff, William provided invaluable counsel in
all areas of tort reform, including medical malpractice reform.”
“The Florida Justice
Reform Institute has spearheaded the state's legal reform
efforts by committing Florida companies to a long-term effort to
improve our civil justice system,” Bush said.
“The Institute has
enjoyed great support from state and national organizations and
important think tanks,’’ said Bush. “I am particularly pleased
that the Institute and Florida's business community are
committed to a long-term approach to ensuring fairness in our
civil justice system. William's policy expertise, strong legal
knowledge, and dedication to fairness will be a great asset
toward the effort."
Prior to working for
the state, Large, 37, was a partner at Hill, Adams, Hall and
Schieffelin, P.A. in Winter Park. He practiced in the areas of
professional malpractice defense litigation primarily
representing hospitals and physicians. He received both his
bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from University of Florida.
He also holds a master’s degree in Applied American Politics and
Policy from Florida State University.
The Florida Justice
Reform Institute is a coalition of more than two dozen state and
national business associations that is leading a long-term
effort to promote a broad package of civil justice reforms.
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