Attorney Biography
Wil H. Florin was born in Salzburg, Austria and raised in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He received his B.A. from Ball State University where he was captain of the varsity soccer team and President of the University’s largest social fraternity (Sigma Phi Epsilon). He obtained his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 1980 where he won the school Moot Court competition and was a State Moot Court finalist. He has remained actively involved with the law school since graduation, having served as an Adjunct Professor in Trial Practice, as well as a host and keynote speaker for the annual “Friends and Family Day” event. Wil was recently selected to serve a four (4) year term as a member of the Stetson University Board of Trustees. In addition, he is serving his second three (3) year term as a member of the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers.
In October 2018, Wil became only the 89th inductee to the Stetson University College of Law’s Hall of Fame in the 119-year history of the school. The honor of being selected for membership to the Stetson Hall of Fame is bestowed upon alumni who have reached and remained at the pinnacle of their fields and have had a profound impact upon the College of Law. Click the play button below to watch Wil’s Stetson Hall of Fame tribute video.
The Law School campus (which is perennially recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the nation’s top law school for trial advocacy) includes the Florin|Roebig Courtroom, one of the largest and most technologically advanced teaching courtrooms in the country. In 2007 the Stetson Lawyers Association awarded Wil Florin and his partner Tom Roebig it’s annual outstanding alumni award (Paul May Meritorious Service Award). Wil has lectured to trial groups across the Country. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas (1980) and Florida (1982). He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. He has been Board Certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by both The Florida Bar since 1988 and The National Board of Trial Advocacy since 1990. Wil is also Board Certified as a Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Wil has been repeatedly named by his peers to “Best Lawyers in America” (the only Pinellas/Pasco plaintiff’s medical malpractice attorney selected), “Leading American Attorneys,” “Florida Super Lawyers” and “America’s Leading Plaintiff’s Lawyers.” He has obtained Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer rating for both ethics and legal ability. Wil was selected by The National Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Florida each of the past eight (8) years. In what is an infrequent occurrence for the Tampa Bay Times, the newspaper in 2010 published a feature article on Wil’s successful legal career.
In 1986, at age thirty, and shortly after founding Florin|Roebig in 1985, he became what may be the youngest lawyer in America to obtain a multi-million dollar jury verdict ($2.3 million). Million dollar recoveries have come in individual cases in the varied areas of medical malpractice, automobile negligence, transportation negligence, civil rights, employment discrimination, insurance liability, products liability, dram shop liability, pharmaceutical liability, manufacturer’s liability, class actions, accountant’s liability, and landowner’s liability. In 2005, his $15 million jury verdict in a trucking negligence trial was the 4th largest verdict reported in the state. His 2014 jury verdict of $47.4 million against a Tampa Bay area day spa and massage therapist is the largest jury verdict in Pasco County history and the second largest jury verdict in Florida for 2014. His 2016 $42 million jury verdict against Applebee’s and others is the largest contested jury verdict in Hernando County history. His $6.1 million jury verdict in a motorcycle accident case won in August 2017 is believed to be the largest jury verdict in Sumter County history. His recent 2018 $7.6 million jury verdict in a premises liability case is considered to be the largest injury verdict ever in the Clearwater, Florida civil division. Wil has obtained over 75 verdicts and settlements more than one million dollars on behalf of his clients. No Pinellas/Pasco attorney has obtained more million dollar jury verdicts [sixteen (16) including two (2) over $40 million] or more million dollar medical malpractice jury verdicts (7) than Wil.
