William J. Bill Schifino,

William J. Bill Schifino,

Litigation - Securities

5.0 (1 reviews)
Tampa, Florida
40+ years experience
Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart PA
Updated:

Contact Information

401 East Jackson Street, Suite 1500, Tampa, FL 33602
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Bio

Bill serves on the firm’s board of directors. He is a board certified specialist in the area of business litigation. His practice focuses on business litigation and trial practice, including securities litigation and arbitration, professional malpractice litigation, director and officer litigation, employment litigation, restrictive covenant litigation and intellectual property litigation.Bill served as President of the Florida Bar for the 2016-2017 term. He is also a member of the board of trustees for the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Bill was selected by Senate President Joe Negron to serve on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission as one of 37 commissioners responsible for studying, researching and making recommendations for revising Florida’s Constitution. Presently, Bill is a member of the State of Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.Bill previously served eight years as a member of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by both Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist, and served as its chairman.Bill is a frequent speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation and trial topics, including deposition strategies and techniques, expert witness procedures and discovery, and trial issues in Florida.After law school, Bill worked for Taub & Williams, P.A., subsequently establishing Williams, Schifino, Mangione & Steady, P.A. in 1991, where he was a founding shareholder, president and then managing director before the firm combined with Alabama-based Burr & Forman in 2012. In 2018, Bill joined Gunster and assumed the role of managing shareholder of the firm’s Tampa office until 2022.In addition to his law practice, Bill serves on the board of directors for Quantum Capital Partners, a Tampa based venture capital firm, FLMIC, a mutual insurance company serving the legal profession and the advisory board of Plutus Capital Partners, a Tampa based investment firm. Bill serves on the firm’s board of directors. He is a board certified specialist in the area of business litigation. His practice focuses on business litigation and trial practice, including securities litigation and arbitration, professional malpractice litigation, director and officer litigation, employment litigation, restrictive covenant litigation and intellectual property litigation.Bill served as President of the Florida Bar for the 2016-2017 term. He is also a member of the board of trustees for the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Bill was selected by Senate President Joe Negron to serve on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission as one of 37 commissioners responsible for studying, researching and making recommendations for revising Florida’s Constitution. Presently, Bill is a member of the State of Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.Bill previously served eight years as a member of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by both Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist, and served as its chairman.Bill is a frequent speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation and trial topics, including deposition strategies and techniques, expert witness procedures and discovery, and trial issues in Florida.After law school, Bill worked for Taub & Williams, P.A., subsequently establishing Williams, Schifino, Mangione & Steady, P.A. in 1991, where he was a founding shareholder, president and then managing director before the firm combined with Alabama-based Burr & Forman in 2012. In 2018, Bill joined Gunster and assumed the role of managing shareholder of the firm’s Tampa office until 2022.In addition to his law practice, Bill serves on the board of directors for Quantum Capital Partners, a Tampa based venture capital firm, FLMIC, a mutual insurance company serving the legal profession and the advisory board of Plutus Capital Partners, a Tampa based investment firm. Bill serves on the firm’s board of directors. He is a board certified specialist in the area of business litigation. Bill was selected by Senate President Joe Negron to serve on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission as one of 37 commissioners responsible for studying, researching and making recommendations for revising Florida’s Constitution. Presently, Bill is a member of the State of Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission. Bill previously served eight years as a member of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by both Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist, and served as its chairman. Bill is a frequent speaker and lecturer on a number of litigation and trial topics, including deposition strategies and techniques, expert witness procedures and discovery, and trial issues in Florida. After law school, Bill worked for Taub & Williams, P.A., subsequently establishing Williams, Schifino, Mangione & Steady, P.A. in 1991, where he was a founding shareholder, president and then managing director before the firm combined with Alabama-based Burr & Forman in 2012. In 2018, Bill joined Gunster and assumed the role of managing shareholder of the firm’s Tampa office until 2022. In addition to his law practice, Bill serves on the board of directors for Quantum Capital Partners, a Tampa based venture capital firm, FLMIC, a mutual insurance company serving the legal profession and the advisory board of Plutus Capital Partners, a Tampa based investment firm.

Practice Areas

Litigation - Securities

Awards & Recognition

  • Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Securities, Tampa (2026)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Arbitration, Tampa (2025)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Arbitration, Tampa (2023)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Tampa (2022)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Arbitration, Tampa (2021)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Securities, Tampa (2016)
  • Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Securities, Tampa (2013)
  • Recognized: Arbitration
  • Recognized: Commercial Litigation
  • Recognized: Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Recognized: Litigation - Securities
  • Special Focus: Business Litigation
  • Special Focus: Employment
  • Special Focus: Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Special Focus: Professional Liability & Legal Malpractice Defense
  • Tampa Magazine, "Top Lawyers," Securities/capital markets law, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America®Arbitration "Lawyer of the Year" in Tampa, 2021, 2025Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Securities Litigation, 2008-17, 2020-26Legal Malpractice Law- Defendants, 2022-26Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants "Lawyer of the Year" in Tampa, 2022Litigation-Securities Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Tampa, 2014, 2016, 2026
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association, Outstanding Lawyer, 2014
  • AV Preeminent rating as independently determined by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Florida Trend Legal Elite; Hall of Fame 2020-22; Commercial Litigation 2006-10, 2013, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2022; Business Law 2016, 2018
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Securities Litigation 2006-21; Business Litigation, 2022-25
  • Chambers & Partners, "Leaders in Their Field, Litigation: General Commercial, 2016-25

Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2008

Education

  • University of Florida, J.D., graduated 1985
  • Tulane University, BA, graduated 1982

Reviews

J

Justin Rivera

2 weeks ago

A consummate professional who delivers exceptional results

After a complex partnership dispute threatened to derail our Tampa-based technology firm, we turned to Bill Schifino at Gunster. From our first consultation, his four decades of experience were evident. He didn't just see the surface conflict; he immediately identified the underlying securities and corporate governance issues that were at play, a perspective honed by his board certification in business litigation. Bill's strategic approach was both meticulous and pragmatic. He leveraged his deep knowledge of arbitration, for which he has been repeatedly recognized, to steer us toward a highly efficient and confidential resolution, avoiding the public spectacle and expense of a full trial. His guidance was consistently clear, and he treated our business crisis with the urgency it deserved. The outcome not only protected our company's assets but preserved critical professional relationships, which was invaluable. Bill’s role on his firm’s board of directors further underscores his leadership and understanding of complex business dynamics. For any Florida business facing serious litigation, his combination of seasoned judgment, trial acumen, and strategic foresight is truly unparalleled.

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