In case you listing the largest authorized instances in South Florida through the previous 50 years, anticipate William R. Scherer Jr.’s identify to dot the listing. “Invoice” Scherer represented George W. Bush within the Bush vs. Gore recount, was common counsel of the North Broward Hospital District for seven years, knew Scott Rothstein earlier than the Ponzi scheme was caught, and represented most of the victims who have been made entire. He has main litigation pending over the opioid disaster.
As Scherer celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Conrad & Scherer legislation agency, he has three of his kids as members: Govt Companion John J. Scherer has been with the agency for 20 years and can be president and proprietor of Gulf Constructing. Final yr, John was joined by Senior Companion William R. Scherer III, who returned from his personal follow, and Companion Elizabeth Scherer, who lastly joined the agency final yr after dealing with over 75 instances as a prosecutor and gaining nationwide consideration because the choose who presided over the Parkland shooter trial.
Conrad Scherer is a agency with a shiny future, however the paternal member reveals no indicators of slowing down.
The youngsters speak
Scherer says he was a standard dad who dressed good and instructed them about legislation rising up. However he’s additionally a little bit of a prankster and has been an adrenaline junkie on the subject of bikes, jet skis, and ski boats.
“In case you see him strolling a bit bit lopsided, it’s as a result of he’s been in so many motorbike accidents and had himself put again collectively so many occasions. He used to race them,” Elizabeth says. “He likes to go quick in every part he does.”
William III and a good friend have been sleeping the day after a 4th of July celebration when his dad threw firecrackers of their cabin bed room to wake them up. Perhaps that’s why younger William received a break after he and Chris Conrad, certainly one of Companion Rex Conrad’s sons, have been noticed throwing rocks off the workplace constructing throughout their lunch break whereas working as runners on the agency over the summer season.
Companion Rex Conrad referred to as younger Invoice into his workplace the subsequent day and instructed him he had not determined if he would hearth him since his father was out of city. His father later referred to as and requested if he knew the track Up on the Roof earlier than including that he had simply used up his free cross.
Elizabeth, the center little one, says, “Our dad is a good man, he’s humorous and he performs these type of pranks–however there’s a line that you just don’t cross, thank God. I feel I used to be in all probability close to the road plenty of occasions rising up and the one factor that saved me on the suitable aspect of the road was understanding that I’d get in huge, huge bother.”
William III, the oldest of the siblings, says their father grew to become profitable within the late Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties. “I used to be born in 1969, so we had a modest home in The Landings in Fort Lauderdale rising up. We ultimately moved to Rio Vista, and I lived there till I went to varsity in 1987.
He began performing in bands as an adolescent. His dad and mom booked time at New River Studios, and he recorded a single referred to as “Engine No. 9.” Elizabeth says her brother may be very gifted and remembers dozens of teenage ladies screaming when he did a gig on Las Olas Boulevard. The web site for his Crosstown Chameleons band says of Scherer: “Dude can sing, write, play guitar and bass. And write a imply legislation temporary. All on the identical time.”
William III thought he would possibly make a profession in music within the Nineteen Nineties when the Miami space had a extra thriving indie scene, however it by no means fairly got here collectively. Fortuitously, his father had a backup plan: “He inspired me to do no matter I needed to do so long as I received a legislation diploma.”
Elizabeth mentioned a school English professor instructed her she was very gifted and may change into a instructor, however her father defined how academics have been overworked and underpaid.
She went to legislation faculty and had a revelation throughout a litigation class in her third yr.
“I used to be higher than all the fellows. I received one of the best grade within the class, and I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie myself. I’d simply get this excessive popping out of doing a trial and I knew that is what I needed to do,” she says.
She had deliberate to affix her dad’s follow after legislation faculty however caught with State Lawyer Michael Satz after an internship.
“My dad mentioned, that’ll be an awesome job. You may keep there for 3 years after which you may get a bunch of trials after which you’ll be able to come work for me,” she remembers. She started engaged on violent crime instances, and Satz satisfied her to remain for 4 extra years.
In a while, he urged she change into a choose, and she or he did.
She had many huge instances, however the Parkland shooter case towers above them: It was probably the most broadly publicized, had the largest crime scene, and had the largest variety of witnesses and victims, and it was topped by her former boss Satz being the lead prosecutor.
She had realized to emotionally desensitize herself from years of prosecution, together with a case the place a person set his spouse on hearth, however this was a good greater problem as a result of her daughter was the identical age because the younger victims.
“Let’s say a father is speaking about his son, who was the youngest of three kids, how he was a mama’s boy, and the way he was such a candy child and an outdated soul. You may’t ever assume, oh my gosh, my daughter is that. … It’s arduous sufficient to maintain your cool, however should you for one minute cross that line and make it private, you’ll lose it,” Scherer says. Through the trial, “All people was crying. Massive armed deputies who’re macho males have been crying, and I simply felt, as a lady, you’re not going to see a male choose crying. So, I can’t cry.”
Elizabeth, who was beneath intense nationwide scrutiny through the trial, knew that after the case, it might be time to maneuver on.
William III labored for the agency as a lawyer for 20 years earlier than leaving to construct his personal follow. 9 years later, he says he confronted the selection of hiring one other affiliate for his rising follow or rejoining his father’s agency.
Elizabeth mentioned she would be part of the agency if he got here again. “I mentioned, as a result of we’ll be a staff, and it will likely be two in opposition to one as a result of my dad may be tough.”
Elizabeth says her older brother is good and hard-working, however he all the time faces the problem of individuals making assumptions due to his identify. It was good for him to get out and construct his personal enterprise, similar to she constructed a profession.
The final and youngest of the trio, John, was already on the agency. He received a level in Development Administration on the College of Florida. After commencement, he began working as a undertaking supervisor for a development firm. He spent a lot time taking a look at authorized paperwork and thought possibly he ought to get a legislation diploma like everybody else. He went to Nova Southeastern College Legislation College at evening and saved working through the day for 3 years.
He grew to become an affiliate legal professional on the legislation agency however was additionally common counsel of Gulf Constructing. He ultimately grew to become president and CEO and acquired Gulf in 2008. His experience in development and its authorized elements offers him a spotlight on the legislation agency. As an govt associate, he additionally handles many managerial duties, resembling inspecting the general enterprise, hiring workers, and managing back-of-the-house operations.
Gulf Constructing is prospering with a powerful listing of tasks over the past 30 years and employs almost 90 professionals. Some current tasks embrace the YMCA on Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and the Parker Theatre in Fort Lauderdale for Broward Performing Arts Middle. Gulf can be presently constructing the brand new terminal at Key West Worldwide Airport amongst different tasks.
The Scherer legislation agency is greater than only a household affair, although, with 10 different attorneys.
Amongst them is associate Steven H. Osber, who supplies one other perspective on Invoice Scherer Jr.
“He’s tenacious. He’s unrefined. He’s tough across the edges. He’s a pit bull, however he’s effectively thought. He’s a strategist,” Osber says. “He’s very effectively linked and teaches the sensible elements of being a lawyer very effectively. He’s received a legacy that he’s carved out for himself. He walks right into a courtroom and the judges give him respect.”
Scherer is nice at forecasting how judges and juries will react and is nice at figuring out points, Osber says. “Generally he brings a ball peen hammer and typically he brings a battering ram to get his level throughout. It simply is dependent upon what’s happening.”
Scherer can be the king of PowerPoint shows in courtrooms.
Indiana boy and a ‘gun bunny’
Scherer grew up in a blue-collar household in Terre Haute, Ind., along with his mom being a beautician and his father a railroad brakeman. One evening, his father was flagging automobiles to cease at a crossing when a drunk driver went via and crushed him in opposition to the locomotive, inflicting extreme damage. A major verdict gave him an appreciation of how necessary attorneys may be.
He attended Franklin School, a small liberal arts faculty in southern Indiana, and later served as a trustee for 10 years. After graduating in 1969, he was doing effectively promoting Xerox machines when his spouse stuffed out purposes for Indiana College and the LSAT legislation faculty admissions take a look at.
“I believed, ‘Why do I wish to try this?” He was shocked to be accepted as a result of he thought his faculty grades weren’t adequate. Years later, he heard that his faculty soccer coach, Stewart “Crimson” Faught, put in phrase with the governor.
Throughout his first yr in legislation faculty, Scherer received a low quantity within the draft lottery amid the Vietnam Warfare, so he joined the Indiana Nationwide Guard.
Legislation faculty was interrupted by six months of fundamental coaching at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and 6 months of energetic responsibility at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, the place Scherer grew to become an artillery man or “gun bunny” in Military slang.
Again on campus, the legislation faculty dean organized a job working for a justice within the Indiana Supreme Courtroom. Scherer did that through the day and went to legislation faculty at evening, graduating magna cum laude.
The adjutant common of the Indiana Nationwide Guard was additionally the Indiana legal professional common. “When he discovered I used to be a legislation clerk and I used to be a gun bunny serving beneath him, he made me certainly one of his [Guard] legislation clerks,” Scherer says.
After he completed legislation faculty in 1972, the dean beneficial that he take a clerkship with U.S. District Courtroom Decide Charles Fulton in Miami. Scherer additionally grew to become a legislation clerk for the Florida Military Reserve.
Scherer would have headed again to Indiana after his time with the Reserve was carried out, however his captain, Tom Panza, urged he follow legislation in Fort Lauderdale, which was extra Midwestern than Miami.
A sleepy seashore city
Scherer says Fort Lauderdale was sleepy, with one downtown high-rise, the Landmark Financial institution Constructing. The federal choose in Miami beneficial Scherer to the chapter courtroom trustee, and he began dealing with instances on the new federal courthouse on Broward Boulevard. In a few years, he grew to become a associate at Druck, Grimmett, Norman, Weaver & Scherer, the agency now generally known as Conrad Scherer.
He quickly recruited Rex Conrad, who was broadly thought to be top-of-the-line trial attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, Scherer says. “He was acerbic and tough, however he was an awesome lawyer.”
Scherer gained mentors who helped him change into a key energy participant in Broward. One was Hamilton Forman, whose father was a Broward pioneer and owned a dairy farm in Davie. Forman donated land for Nova Southeastern College and helped kind the North Broward Hospital District, the place Scherer ultimately grew to become common counsel. Outstanding legal professional Don McClosky additionally was an in depth good friend and mentor.
The unique companions, Conrad, Forman, and McClosky, have all handed away now.
Bush vs. Gore
Nevertheless, Scherer additionally has youthful associates, resembling Jeb Bush. In 2000, Scherer was performing some professional bono work with a state company when the Gore vs. Bush recount saga started. It was obvious Broward would find yourself being an epicenter for the recount, so Scherer was tapped to symbolize George W. Bush within the county.
“I received plenty of face time on that Thanksgiving day the place they have been counting chads,” Scherer says. He was throughout the desk from Decide Robert Rosenberg when one of the crucial well-known pictures in election historical past was taken: Rosenberg trying via a giant magnifying glass at a dimpled poll.
John says Gore vs. Bush is when he actually began understanding his father’s prominence.
“I used to be on the College of Florida, and I walked into my room with my fraternity brothers, and I regarded on the TV and CNN’s on. My dad’s on TV arguing for President Bush. And everybody’s like, ‘Is that your dad? I mentioned, ‘yeah. … After which they mentioned, ‘Wait, is your dad going to jail? He appears to be like like he’s getting handcuffed as a result of he’s getting thrown out of the courtroom.’”
Scherer was offended that the canvassing board didn’t appear to have any requirements in divining voters’ intents with the dimpled chads on the ballots. At one level, the Democratic choose main the canvassing board threatened to take away Scherer. Scherer remembers holding out his palms like he was able to be cuffed.
A mannequin for others
With all his work and connections, it’s no shock that Scherer grew to become a lawyer others needed to emulate. He remembers a Every day Enterprise Assessment article the place flamboyant legal professional Scott Rothstein mentioned he needed to be like Scherer and McClosky.
Rothstein typically approached Scherer and different leaders at Jackson’s Steakhouse on Las Olas Boulevard.
“He would have these fundraisers at his home, sit down and regale everyone and play the piano superbly and sing. He was a gifted man and clearly the consummate salesman to promote individuals, refined individuals, these Ponzi investments and have this main Ponzi scheme,” Scherer says.
Scherer began asking questions when Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler ballooned in dimension and Rothstein lived an ostentatious way of life. One rumor was that Rothstein had gotten in on the bottom flooring of web porn.
Scherer requested him how his agency might make that a lot: “Scott, how the hell are you able to, as a result of I’m a really profitable lawyer and we don’t make that type of cash.”
Rothstein instructed him he had gotten to know some hedge fund managers.
Like many others, Scherer realized concerning the $1.2 billion scheme, one of many largest in Ponzi historical past, after Rothstein briefly fled to Morocco. On Nov. 3, 2009, a retired choose was appointed receiver to the legislation agency.
Rothstein had sworn his traders to secrecy, saying their investments have been associated to out-of-court funds to sexual harassment victims.
Victims began calling Scherer and exhibiting him letters from banks that painted Rothstein favorably. Scherer realized the banks had authorized legal responsibility and Rothstein later admitted he compromised financial institution officers.
Rothstein was represented by prison protection legal professional Mark Nurik, who referred to as Scherer.
“I mentioned, ‘What’s Scott need?’ He mentioned he simply desires you to inform the reality that he helped cooperate with you when the time comes so that you can write a letter. And I mentioned, OK, carried out,” Scherer remembers. “So, I wrote a letter to the choose that he was very useful in us getting restoration and telling us precisely how every part occurred and all that, and who the bankers have been and the way he compromised them.”
On Nov. 25, 2009, Scherer filed an amended civil grievance looking for $100 million for his shoppers. Not one of the civil instances went to trial. Settlements with banks and insurance coverage corporations, plus chapter courtroom proceedings, made the victims entire, which was unprecedented in a Ponzi case.
Rothstein is presently in an undisclosed federal jail beneath protecting custody, serving out a 50-year sentence after ratting out some low-level mobsters.
Not slowing down but
Scherer has no plans to retire. “I wish to hold doing it so long as I’m succesful. When the day comes, I hope I do know it, that I’m not able to convincing the jury. That day isn’t right here but.”
He has a whopper of a case forward in Broward Circuit Courtroom as a part of a staff representing 25 Florida hospitals in opposition to the producers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers of opioids. The hospitals say they’ve had a monetary burden caring for opioid customers.
Scherer is gearing up: “It’s going to go to trial in 18 months. We’re in discovery. We’re spending enormous quantities of money and time.”
