Craig B. Willis

Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating: 5 out of 5 → AV Rated*
*The "A" portion indicates a "very high to preeminent" rating for legal ability, while the "V" is a general recommendation rating that indicates faithful adherence to ethical standards, professional reliability, diligence and other relevant factors.

PERSONAL:

• Born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1951
• Married to Letitia Bryson Willis

EDUCATION:

Legal

• Florida State University College of Law, J.D., with honors 1978

• Florida State University Law Review (1977-1978)

• Articles Editor (1978)

Graduate

• Florida State University M.S. with high honors, 1975

Undergraduate

• University of Florida, B.A., with high honors 1973

PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Since 1993, Mr. Willis has been designated by Martindale Hubbell as an AV rated attorney. This is the highest possible peer review rating from Martindale Hubbell, which is the oldest and most trusted monitor of peer review evaluations of attorneys in the world.
Mr. Willis is a partner in Fixel, Maguire & Willis.
He also serves as a Special Advocate for the Commission on Ethics on occasions in which the Attorney General's Office has a conflict.
Mr. Willis has worked on hundreds of private property owner and business recoveries since 1998. During the last three and a half decades, he has personally handled jury trials throughout the state. Mr. Willis has conducted trials in numerous counties around the state, including Alachua, Bay, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia. In addition, Mr. Willis has achieved favorable eminent domain settlements without the necessity of a jury trial throughout the state.
Mr. Willis has represented clients against a variety condemning authorities throughout Florida. Some of these condemning authorities include Florida Board of Education, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, City of Tallahassee, City of Orlando, Alachua County, Hernando County, Lake County, Leon County, Orange County, Osceola County, Pasco County, Seminole County, Blueprint 2000, Orlando-Orange County Expressway, Florida Gas Transmission Company, Gulf Power, Progress Energy, and Orlando Utilities Commission, among others.
Mr. Willis has brought a number of successful inverse condemnation cases protecting private property rights against governmental agencies which had deprived property owners of valuable property interests without properly instituting condemnation procedures under Florida law.
Prior to joining the firm of Fixel, Maguire & Willis, Mr. Willis worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida for 20 years. During those twenty years, he worked in a variety of positions: Opinions Section, State of Florida (1978 - 1985), Section Head (1984 - 1985), Statewide Ethics Advocate (1985 - 1989), Civil Defense Attorney, Tort Section (1989 - 1995), and Eminent Domain Section (1995 - 1998)

PUBLICATIONS:
• Articles Editor, Florida State University Law Review (1978)
• Author: "Prior Public Use Doctrine," FSU Law Review, Vol. 5 (1977)
• "Quo Warranto," Fourth Edition, Florida Appellate Practice, The Florida Bar Manual (1997)
• "Juror Misconduct," The Florida Bar Manual, Vol. LXXII, No. 5 (May 1998)
MEMBERSHIPS:
• Member of The Florida Bar
• Member of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• Member of the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
• Member of the United States Supreme Court
• Member of Tallahassee Bar Association
• Member of Phi Kappa Phi
• Member of Order of the Arrow
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:
• Member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent
• Past Member of the Vestry and Senior Warden for Advent Church
• Member Gulf Winds Track Club
• Member Capital City Band
• Past President of Apalachee Anthropological Society
• Past President of Paleontological Archaeology Research Team

Contact Craig B. Willis at cwillis@fla-eminentdomain.com

Tallahassee Office:

Orlando Office:

Craig B. Willis