Education
Preliminary Education
Pine Crest Preparatory School, 1980
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
College
Washington and Lee University, 1984
Lexington, Virginia
School of Commerce, Economics and Politics, Bachelor of Arts
Law School
Washington and Lee University, 1987
Lexington, Virginia
School of Law, Juris Doctor
Admitted
Florida Bar, 1988
Professional Organizations
Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (now, FJA)
American Bar Association
American Trial Lawyers Association (now, AJA)
Broward County Bar Association
Broward County Trial Lawyers Association
Lee County Bar Association
National Head Injury Foundation
Experience
Conrad, Scherer and James (1987-1989)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Clerk and defense counsel for public and private corporate clients with emphasis on healthcare and defense of complex medical malpractice actions. Clients included Humana Corporation, HealthCare Corporation of America (HCA, now Columbia), the North Broward Hospital Tax District, the South Broward Hospital Tax District and their subsidiaries, affiliated hospitals and insurance companies.
Bobo, Spicer, Ciotoli, Fulford, et. al. (1989-1991)
West Palm Beach, Florida
Defense trial counsel and senior associate for physicians with primary emphasis on medical malpractice and professional licensing actions before State Courts and administrative agencies. Clients included physicians, podiatrists and dentists insured by, among others, Physicians Protective Trust Fund (now ProNational), Florida Physicians Insurance Reciprocal and Florida Podiatry Insurance Trust.
William deForest Thompson, P.A. (1991-1995)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Trial counsel for plaintiffs with primary emphasis on the investigation, litigation and trial of complex civil actions involving serious personal injury and wrongful death from product liability, medical malpractice, automobile and trucking negligence, airline crash cases.
William deForest Thompson, Jr., L.L.C. (1995-present)
Trial counsel for plaintiffs with primary emphasis on the investigation, litigation and trial of complex civil actions involving serious personal injury and wrongful death from product liability, medical malpractice, automobile and trucking negligence, airline crash cases. Testified as an expert witness on the professional standard of care in a professional negligence action.
Representative Cases and Reported Opinions
Appellate counsel (with Phil Burlington, Esq.) in Moorman v. American Safety Equipment and Ford Motor Company, 594 So. 2d 795 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992);
Medical Malpractice Trial Counsel and successfully pursued Claims Bill against Special Tax Health District in the representation of the parents of Brittany Lee Nelson v. North Broward Hospital Tax District in 1992 (brain damaged baby);
Class Action representation of multiple families arising out of September 4, 1994 crash of U.S. Airways Flight #427 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Issues in this class action involved complicated discovery, forensic science and flight safety requirements;
Trial Counsel in 1994 insurance coverage action in Sarasota, Florida for Estate of Bethany Morris (four year old child killed by a fatal overdose of anesthetic given during a simple office dental procedure). The Florida dentist’s license was revoked and he subsequently left the country. I tried the complicated declaratory action brought against the dentist and Morris family in Sarasota under alleged insurance coverage defenses and prevailed. The underlying case settled thereafter, prior to trial;
Trial and Appellate Counsel (with Phil Burlington, Esq.) in Fireman’s Fund v. Signorelli, 681 So. 2d 720 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1996), involving an intentional infliction of emotional distress claim against a workers compensation insurance carrier;
Sole trial counsel in the 2000 Atlanta, Georgia medical malpractice trial of Walker v. South Fulton Medical Center, etc., in Fulton County Circuit Court for one week resulting in confidential settlement;
Trial and Appellate Counsel (sole) in Owens v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, 884 So. 2d 249 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2004) involving insurance bad faith claims handling allegations;
Trial and Appellate Counsel (sole) in Thomas v. Hospital Board of Directors of Lee County, d/b/a Lee Memorial Health Systems and Backstrand, M.D., 41 So. 3d 246 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010) involving allegations of both medical malpractice and intentional infliction of emotional distress in a health care setting. Punitive damages were determined by the Court to be awardable prior to settlement and entry of three million dollar ($3,000,000.00) judgment; and,
Trial and Appellate Counsel (sole) in Doe v. Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., 105 So. 3d 1 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2012) involving broadcaster negligence, invasion of privacy and punitive damages.