Biography

William J. Cook represents clients in matters involving business litigation and commercial and employment disputes, securities litigation, business transactions and counseling, and insurance. Mr. Cook's peers have awarded him with the highest possible rating of AV-Preeminent* by Martindale-Hubbell, which speaks to his stellar professional reputation and track record of high moral character. He has been listed in Florida Super Lawyers under business litigation since 2013.

Mr. Cook attended the Stetson University College of Law where he was actively involved as a Notes Editor with the Stetson Law Review. While in school, he also received the American Jurisprudence Book Award in Business Associations and was honored as a finalist in the Scribes National Note and Comment Competition. Serving his internship for U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich of the Middle District of Florida provided him with valuable experience in federal courtroom procedures.

After graduating cum laude, Mr. Cook became licensed to practice under the Florida Bar in 1993. He is also admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. In addition to membership in the Hillsborough County and American Bar Associations, Mr. Cook has been a Barrister for the Tampa Bay Inn of Court.

Mr. Cook has written several published articles on legal topics such as insider trading and appeals issues. He also co-wrote the Florida Practice Handbook, Damages in 1995 along with the Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law in 1998. Topics of other legal articles include the basics of civil litigation, insurance coverage, federal court, Florida civil procedures and expert testimony. Mr. Cook has been asked to speak at a number of professional conferences on topics such as third-party insurance coverage, basic tort law, class action lawsuits and Florida legal ethics.

*AV-Preeminent and BV-Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice Areas

• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Shareholder Disputes
• Employment Disputes
• Securities Litigation
• Insurance
• Business Transactions and Counseling

Education

• Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida
  • J.D. - 1993
  • Honors: cum laude
  • Honors: Finalist, Scribes National Note and Comment Competition, 1992-1993
  • Honors: Recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award in Business Associations
• Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
  • B.A. - 1990

Bar Admission

• Florida, 1993
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1995
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2001
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1994
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2013
• U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, 2013

Published Works

• Note, From Insider Trading to Unfair Trading: Chestman II and Rule 14e-3, 22 Stetson L. Rev. 171, 1992
• "Getting Slam-Dunked on Appeal", The Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer, April, 1998
• Damages (Co-author), Alpert's Florida Practice Handbook, 1995 and current supplement
• Florida Practice Handbook, Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law (Co-author), 1998

Representative Cases

• Peterson v. Morton F. Plant Hosp. Ass'n, Inc. 656 So. 2d 501, 1995, Fla. 2d DCA
• Key Club Associates, Limited Partnership v. Mayer 718 So. 2d 346, 1998, Fla. 2d DCA
• Rice v. NITV, LLC 19 So. 3d 1095, 2009, Fla. 2d DCA
• Alderman v. BCI 68 So. 3d 396, 2011, Fla. 2d DCA
• Axiom Worldwide, Inc. Excite Medical Corp. 2014 WL 6234006 (11th Cir. 2014)
• Medco Data, LLC v. Bailey 2014 WL 6677204, 2014, Fla. 2d DCA

Honors

• American Jurisprudence Book Award in Business Associations
• "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell
• Super Lawyers, Business Litigation
• Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Classes & Seminars

• "Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage in Florida", National Business Institute, 1998
• "Basic Tort Law for the Florida Paralegal", National Business Institute, 1999
• "Litigating the Class Action Lawsuit in Florida", National Business Institute, 1999
• "Protecting the Legal Rights of Florida Citizens in Consumer Transactions", National Business Institute, 2003
• "Florida Legal Ethics", Lorman Business Services, 2001
• "Rules and Procedures for Federal Court Success:, National Business Institute, 2008
• "Effective Case Presentations at Trial", National Business Institute, 2012
• "Building Your Civil Trial Skills", National Business Institute, 2012

Pro-Bono Activities

• Rotary Club of Tampa Bay, Past President

Professional Associations

• Hillsborough County Bar Association, Member
• Florida Bar Association, Member, Business Law Section