Mission Statement

Fowler White Boggs P.A. strives to be the leader among law firms embracing diversity. Fowler White is proud of its commitment of ensuring equal opportunities for success within the firm. We successfully promote diversity through active recruitment, development, and retention of a diverse group of people. The firm’s workforce—lawyers and staff—throughout each of its offices, reflects these varied cultures. Our wide-ranging talent pool merges diverse experiences, rich cultures, and varied educational backgrounds.  

Ensuring Our Commitment

In order to ensure our commitment, Fowler White’s Diversity Committee develops and implements firmwide programs which foster an environment of acceptance and the inclusion of individuals with diverse characteristics. The Diversity Committee, led by shareholders Olga Pina and Julie Sneed who serve as the firm’s Diversity Co-Chairs, oversees all diversity initiatives and reinforces our collective efforts both within the community and the firm. With the Committee’s guidance, attorneys and staff regularly participate in diversity programs, trainings, events, sponsorships, and leadership seminars.

As we grow, we remain committed to our mission, by continually searching for ways to broaden and enhance our diversity-initiative efforts.  Fowler White commits to reflect and to provide, to both clients and employees, the benefits of a well-balanced law firm in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, marital status, economic background and life experiences.  At Fowler White, we strive to internally raise awareness of the benefits of a diverse workforce and to provide an environment allowing each individual to succeed.

Fostering Diversity

Fowler White is firmly committed to promoting diversity within the legal profession. We sponsor, participate in and support various diversity initiatives and diversity-related organizations and programs on a local, regional, and national level. Our affiliations include:

• Minority job fairs at local law schools: Florida A&M University, Southeastern Minority Job fair, and The Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA) Southern Regional Job fair.
• Events for the George Edgecomb Bar Association (GEBA), a local bar association dedicated to the promotion and recognition of African-Americans within the legal profession and the judiciary.
• Meetings for the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
• In 2005, Rhea Law, the firm’s first female president and CEO, participated in The Florida Bar’s Diversity Symposium as a guest speaker. The Florida Bar also featured Ms. Law in a video to promote the value of diversity within the legal community.
• The Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL), Tallahassee Women Lawyers, and other women’s initiative organizations in each of our markets.
• As an active member of the U.S. Law Firm Group (USLFG), Fowler White is a proud participant of USLFG’s Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CORED)., a shareholder in our Tampa office, serves on this committee to address minority retention, recruitment issues, and proper mentoring and promotion of minority lawyers. CORED meets twice a year.

Timeline

1943
Morris White and Cody Fowler form partnership.

1944
The firm welcomes its first female attorney, Caroline Adams. Soon thereafter, Wilhelmina Hawkins, the second female attorney joins the firm.

1953
Josephine Howard Stafford joined the firm.  Ms. Stafford became the first female judge in Hillsborough County.

1959
Personally appointed by Governor LeRoy Collins, founder Cody Fowler serves as chairman of Tampa’s Bi-Racial Committee until 1964. The organization sought to ease racial integration in Tampa.

1961
E. Jackson Boggs joins the firm.  

1963
Fowler White welcomes Doris A. Dudney, the firm’s fourth female attorney.

1964
Cody Fowler becomes an avid part of the city’s Commission on Community Relations (until 1967).

1966
Cody Fowler receives the American Bar Association’s Gavel Award for urging the modernization of Florida’s judicial system and the non-partisan selection of judges.

1967
Tampa Bay’s Bi-Racial Committee and the Community Relations Commission jointly receive the nationally prized Lane Bryant Award. Attorney Cody Fowler as chairman of the Bi-Racial Committee accepts the grant and plaque.

1970
Cody Fowler receives Tampa Bay’s Silver Medallion Humanitarian Award for all of his contributions to promote dialogue and respect among cultures, religions, and races. The Christian-Jewish Conference also honors Fowler with the National Brotherhood Award for distinguished service in the field of human relations.

1981
Ft. Myers office opens by merging with James H. McNeil, P.A. The law firm of Dixon, Lawson, Brown joins in April. 

1982
First Hispanic Shareholder is named.

1984
Women’s Marketing/Mentoring group informally formed.

1986
Tallahassee office opens.

2001
First formal diversity training program introduced at attorney retreat.

2002
In May, the firm names it first female president and CEO, Rhea Law. According to Florida Trend magazine, Law was the only female to head one of Florida’s 25 largest law firms at the time.

2002
First African American Female Shareholder named.

2004
Jacksonville office opens.

2005
Diversity Committee officially formed.

2006
FWB merges with Robison & Folk to open a Boca Raton office.

2007
Boca Raton office relocates to Ft. Lauderdale.

2008
The firm celebrates its 65th anniversary.