Robert Stuart Willis

        Robert Willis, senior partner, is a former prosecutor and is board certified in criminal trial law.  He is included annually in the national publication “The Best Lawyers in America” and was named as “Lawyer of the Year” in criminal defense for Jacksonville in 2011 by that same publication.  He is also included in the statewide publication “Florida Super Lawyers”, named by Florida Trend Magazine as a member of Florida’s “Legal Elite” and featured by Jacksonville Magazine as one of the five best criminal trial lawyers in Jacksonville.  He is AV rated (the highest) and has achieved “Preeminent Status” with Martindale Hubble.  His stature in all of these publications is based upon the votes of other lawyers and judges within the legal community.

      He has twice been Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Jacksonville Bar, was a State Board Member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Criminal Law Section of the Florida Bar.

      For a dozen years he was an instructor at the Trial Advocacy Seminar for prosecutors and public defenders at the University of Florida College of Law and has lectured on various criminal law subjects for Bar sponsored seminars including giving the “professionalism” lecture for the “Bridge the Gap” seminar that is required for all new Florida lawyers.  Mr. Willis has also served as mentor for the Jacksonville Bar and has been recognized as resource attorney in capital cases by the Commission on the Administration of Justice in capital cases.

      Mr. Willis is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of United States, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Middle District of Florida, and all Florida Courts.  He has appeared pro hac vice in the courts of New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Tennessee.

    Mr. Willis’ undergraduate education was at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.  He holds a Juris Doctor Degree (J.D.) from the University of Florida College of Law.  While earning his J.D., he was elected Chancellor of the Student Honor Court and inducted into Florida Blue Key Honor Fraternity.  He has served as an Officer or Member of the Board for various charitable organizations with special interest in serving the needs of mentally handicapped children and adults.  He has also received various awards for his pro bono representation of indigent persons.

     In addition to Criminal Trial practice, Mr. Willis has extensive experience in licensure defense, primarily defense of lawyers in Bar grievance proceedings and similar disciplinary proceedings involving healthcare professionals.