Daniel Sylvester, a U.S. Army veteran turned attorney, has transformed Holland & Knight’s veterans initiative from a small support network into a powerhouse legal advocacy group, delivering millions of dollars in pro bono services to military families.
Sylvester, who attended law school at age 44 after more than a decade of military service and nearly nine years in executive recruiting, was named co-chair of his law firm’s veterans group as a first-year associate in 2014.
“They asked me to help lead it, and three months later, my co-chair left the firm,” Sylvester tells We Are The Mighty. “They basically told me, ‘OK, this is yours, run with it.’”
Run with it, he did. Under Sylvester’s leadership, the group expanded from a simple annual Veterans Day video and a spreadsheet of names to a formalized, multi-office veterans network spanning 34 offices and counting 250 members, including over 100 veterans.
The group’s dual mission focuses on supporting veterans within the firm and assisting veterans, service members, and their families in the broader community.
“We do everything from disability claims and discharge upgrades to helping service members whose cars were towed while deployed,” Sylvester explains.
Today, the group contributes an estimated $4 million worth of pro bono legal services annually, including work with the American Bar Association (ABA), which provides assistance through its Legal Assistance to Military Personnel Committee. This committee helps fill gaps in military legal support.
It has paid off – Holland & Knight is the only firm to have received the Outstanding Military Service Award from the ABA every year since the award was initiated in 2012.
But the impact goes beyond standard legal matters. Sylvester and his team have supported veteran entrepreneurs through pitch competitions, in turn offering pro bono legal services to help winners launch their businesses. He has also helped connect the firm to organizations like PALADIN, which aggregates pro bono opportunities and distributes them to law firms and corporations, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which advocates for military caregivers.
While Sylvester’s own caregiving role for his wife–a fellow Army veteran living with PTSD–shaped his personal understanding of military family challenges, he credits the broader team effort for the group’s growth and success.
“Being mighty is doing more than you realize you are capable of,” Sylvester says, reflecting on his journey. “My advice for others is to find something that you’re passionate about and build on it. That’s how you sustain this kind of work.”
Sylvester’s path from soldier to attorney to leader of one of the nation’s most respected veteran-focused legal initiatives is a testament to the power of service after service–and a reminder that supporting those who wore the uniform takes many forms.
