Florida’s former top federal prosecutor, Wifredo Ferrer, joins Holland & Knight

Holland & Knight announced Monday that Wifredo A. “Willy” Ferrer has joined the law firm as a partner in the Miami office and will lead the firm's Global Compliance and Investigations Team.

Ferrer is the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, nominated by President Barack Obama in 2010; he stepped down March 3. Under his leadership, the office handled more than 11,000 cases and charged more than 18,000 defendants for their alleged roles in criminal schemes, including financial fraud, international and domestic terrorism, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption and violent crime and human trafficking.

“Willy Ferrer is one of the most respected government officials in South Florida. He has an impeccable reputation in our profession,” said Steven Sonberg, managing partner of Holland & Knight, in the announcement. “We are proud that he has chosen to continue his remarkable career at Holland & Knight.”

At Holland & Knight, Ferrer's practice will focus on international and domestic investigations for corporate clients, including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters.

Prior to serving as Florida’s top federal prosecutor, Ferrer was chief of the Federal Litigation Section for the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office from 2006 to 2010 and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2000 to 2006. Ferrer, the son of Cuban immigrants, rose to the top of his class at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School and the University of Miami before earning his law degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

READ MORE: South Florida’s top federal prosecutor to step down

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Florida’s former top federal prosecutor, Wifredo Ferrer, joins Holland & Knight."