Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein has joined the powerhouse Holland & Knight law firm, where he’ll be part of a “government advocacy team” that also includes former Republican Gov. Bob Martinez and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis.

Boca Raton attorney Klein will also be on the same team as Eric Eikenberg, who was chief of staff to former Gov. Charlie Crist and to former Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw — the man Klein defeated in a nationally watched 2006 congressional race.

Klein was defeated last year by Republican Allen West and has not closed the door on the possibility of running for the seat again in 2012.

Klein said he’ll be working primarily from South Florida and will not be lobbying or registering as a lobbyist in his new job. He said he’ll provide clients advice on dealing with government, with an emphasis on health care, financial services and energy policy. Before going to Congress, Klein was a state House member and Senator for 14 years.

“Congressman Klein’s prior experience as a business lawyer in South Florida for more than 20 years combined with his knowledge of government affairs makes him an invaluable asset to our local clients,” said Holland & Knight Managing Partner Steven Sonberg. “Business leaders, now more than ever, need advocates that understand their concerns and how governmental actions may affect their future plans.”

Said Klein: “I’m looking forward to moving back to the private sector.”

Tags: Bob Martinez, Eric Eikenberg, Jim Davis

This entry was posted on Friday, March 11th, 2011 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Allen West, Charlie Crist, George Bennett, Ron Klein. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.