Former General Counsel to the IL State Board of Education Joins the Chicago Office
CHICAGO –July 10, 2006 –LAWFUEL – Law News Network – The Executive Partner of Holland & Knight’s Chicago Office, Steven M. Elrod, announced today that the former General Counsel to the Illinois State Board of Education, Jonathan Furr, will join Holland & Knight’s Chicago Office. Mr. Furr will practice in the Illinois Land Use and Government Group alongside an established team of municipal and real estate attorneys in the Chicago office. In addition, Mr. Furr will work closely with attorneys in the firm’s Education Practice Group, based in Washington D.C.
Mr. Furr comes to Holland & Knight after serving as the General Counsel to the Illinois State Board of Education, the state agency that sets the educational policy for over two million Illinois students, oversees approximately 880 public school districts and administers $8.4 billion in state and federal funds. Mr. Furr served there as the chief attorney for the 500-person agency and the nine-member State Board.
Prior to that, Mr. Furr was General Counsel to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, where he was the chief attorney for the 1800-person agency that administers conservation and outdoor recreation programs and managers over 400,00 acres and 122 recreational and natural sites. He also served as the ethics officer for both agencies.
At Holland & Knight, Mr. Furr will be working on public and private sector projects involving state and local government in Illinois. In addition, he will be assisting private and public sector educational clients throughout the country.
Mr. Elrod, who is also a Partner in the Illinois Land Use & Government Practice Group said, “Jon will be an invaluable addition to the team. His experience with the State Board of Education and his time with the Department of Natural Resources make him a natural fit for our existing and future clients. We are looking forward to delving into several new projects with Jon’s background and experience to guide us.”
Mr. Furr started his career doing government, land use, real estate, and construction work as an associate at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. He received his J.D., cum laude, (2000) from the University of Michigan Law School and a Masters of Urban Planning (2001) from the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He earned a B.A., cum laude, majoring in both Architecture and History, from Washington University in St. Louis (1995).
About Holland & Knight LLP: Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,150 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Mexico City, Tokyo and Beijing, with representative offices in Caracas, Helsinki and Tel Aviv. Holland & Knight is among the world’s 15 largest firms, providing representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Our interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams ensure clients have access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location. www.hklaw.com
