Our Founders
Shaw Bransford & Roth was founded in 1982 by George Jerome (Jerry) Shaw, Jr. William (Bill) Bransford joined the firm a year later. Although Jerry and Bill have passed, their legacy lives on and fuels the important work we do every day for federal employees nationwide.
Bill Bransford Memorial
Jerry Shaw Memorial
The law firm of Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C. and the Senior Executives Association (SEA) announce with great sadness the passing of William L. Bransford on September 27, 2013 after a long illness. Bill was a law firm partner since 1983 and SEA’s General Counsel since 2000.
SEA President Carol Bonosaro said, “Bill’s contribution to SEA’s legislative achievements has been exceptional and his wise counsel invaluable. He was deeply committed to fairness and respect for federal employees in general and career executives in particular. All career executives owe him a debt of gratitude. Until the end he dedicated his time, passion and expertise to SEA’s cause. He firmly believed in the value of the career leadership corps to a strong, effective government. He was an SEA champion and friend. Bill will be greatly missed and will be in our thoughts and hearts for a very long time.”
Law firm partner Debra Roth said, “Bill had a deep passion for the law and for representing his clients. He led the firm by advocating the value of fairness, compassion and professionalism which carried through in both his public and private life. Bill’s legacy is that he practiced law like a gentleman. He perfected the art of zealousness for his clients, while practicing with the utmost civility and respect for the process. He was a great mentor to every attorney and employee who walked through the door and he left his mark on every one of them. Not only was he my law partner and colleague, he was my friend."
This legacy he leaves the law firm and SEA he also leaves to the federal community. Bill was a true friend to federal employees. He cared about the entire civil service and dedicated his career to ensuring that the spirit and promise of public service was fulfilled.
There is only one Bill Bransford. He is irreplaceable and he will be deeply missed.
He will always be in our hearts.
- From the Shaw Bransford & Roth family
It is with great sadness that Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C. announces the passing of the law firm’s founder, George Jerome (Jerry) Shaw, Jr. on June 1, 2016.
A man committed to his country and the federal community, Jerry’s life in public service started as a young man in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps while completing his undergraduate degree. He went on to serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army, completing a tour in Vietnam and receiving numerous commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Jerry was eventually honorably discharged at the rank of Captain and returned to civilian life in pursuit of another way to serve. He went to law school and took up a job with the IRS upon completion, and after more than a decade in the Office of the Chief Counsel, he saw the void where career executives were in need of a voice.
He was a founder of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) in 1980 and served as the Association’s first president until leaving to found the law firm in 1982. But his dedication to the organization and the federal community never waned. He served as the General Counsel and lobbyist for SEA until 2003 and went on to found the Public Employees Roundtable – a consortium of associations that represent government employees and which launched Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) in 1985 – and the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) – which provides scholarships to civilian federal and postal employees and their families, as well as emergency grants and no-interest loans to federal employees in need.
“Jerry was a visionary,” said Debra Roth, Jerry's former law partner. “He came to the table with an idea, but, unlike most people, he didn’t just leave it there. He worked to stand it up, to find people whose passion for the cause would carry it on; and the fruits of his labor can still be seen today, more than 30 years later.”
Jerry’s legacy lives on through the firm and the other organizations he was instrumental in creating; an additional tribute to his work can be found on SEA’s website.
To those seeking to honor and celebrate Jerry’s memory, we ask that you consider making a charitable donation in his name to FEEA – which has provided more than $13 million in scholarships and $12 million in emergency financial assistance since its inception.
- From the Shaw Bransford & Roth family
Read the following article about Jerry Shaw's life and legacy by Federal News Radio's Mike Causey – One of a Kind: Jerry Shaw