Hill Ward Henderson is proud to announce that shareholders Katherine “Katie” E. Cole, S. Katherine Frazier, and Jerilyn H. Reed have been selected to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite NOTABLE Women Leaders in Law. This marks the third year of recognition for Cole and Frazier and the second for Reed, highlighting their continued leadership and contributions to the legal profession and their communities.
The selection criteria include demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and civic and community service initiatives, mentorship of other attorneys, promotion of professional practices and values in the workplace, and at least 15 years of experience in the legal profession.
Cole leads Hill Ward Henderson’s Land Use Practice in Pinellas County. She represents property owners, developers, and local governments in all areas of land use, zoning, and comprehensive planning. She assists clients with rezonings, plan amendments, development agreements, variances, and permitting matters, guiding projects from concept to completion. Her experience also includes advising on public-private partnerships, real estate transactions, and development incentives, with a strong focus on collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Active in civic and professional leadership, Cole currently serves on the Board of Trustees for St. Petersburg College and on the Boards of Directors for Morton Plant Mease Hospital and BayCare. She also currently serves on the firm’s Management Committee.
With more than 30 years of experience, Frazier represents clients in a wide range of commercial real estate and business transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing, financing, and entity formation. She has extensive experience in the automotive industry, guiding dealership groups through complex, multi-property transactions.
Frazier is actively involved in civic and professional organizations. She is Immediate Past Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar and has served on its Executive Committee since 2013 and Executive Council since 2004.
Reed chairs the firm’s Real Estate Group and serves on other firm committees. Her practice includes lending, purchase and sale transactions, commercial development, and leasing. Her diverse client base includes developers, national homebuilders, hoteliers, local, regional, and national banks, and multifamily owners and operators.
Reed is active in the real estate industry and dedicates her time to philanthropic and professional organizations. She serves on the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees for St. Joseph’s/South Florida Baptist Hospital, whose board oversees six hospitals within the BayCare Health System.