Brian C. Willis
bwillis@becker-poliakoff.com

Professional Experience
Brian Willis is a business and real estate litigation attorney in the firm’s Tampa Bay office. His experience includes representing businesses, individuals, government agencies, and community associations in matters involving business disputes, commercial and residential property disputes, community association litigation, discrimination and employment law matters, injunction actions, and other issues. He has experience in state and federal court as well as appellate practice experience before Florida’s First and Second District Court of Appeal.

Representative Cases Include:

• Successfully represented an international company in a jury trial to recover damages from the manufacturer of defective industrial packaging equipment.
  
  
• Defended educational institution accused of racial discrimination in the selection and supervision of interns, resulting in favorable summary judgment ruling for the client.
  
  
• Obtained favorable summary judgment ruling on behalf of land owner sued for criminal acts that occurred on adjacent property.
  
  
• Recovered delinquent rents due to commercial shopping center owner after initiating litigation.
  
  
• Obtained emergency injunction on behalf of building owner, where resident refused to permit access to unit to conduct urgent sinkhole remediation work.
  
  
• Defended closed circuit television station operator from defamation claims brought by outside vendor that was the subject of ‘scam warning’ broadcast.
  
  
• Defended construction company sued by a former employee for defamation, resulting in jury verdict in favor of the firm’s client.

In law school, Mr. Willis was selected to be a member of the Moot Court Board and was the recipient of the award for Best Petitioner's Brief at the Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition in Constitutional Law at UCLA. Brian also worked in the Washington, DC office of James Humphreys and Associates where he was involved in complex toxic tort class action litigation and multi-district pharmaceuticals litigation.

Activities & Memberships
Brian currently serves as a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. He also represents Hillsborough County on the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority’s (TBARTA) Citizen Advisory Committee.

In addition to his community involvement, Brian publishes a widely read blog covering Florida Court decisions interpreting the Florida Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure, called the Florida Rules Decisions Reporter, which can be read at http://reporter.floridacivpro.com.

Brian also serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Hillsborough County Young Democrats. During the 2008 presidential election, Brian was a registered poll watcher with the Florida Democratic Lawyers Council and a volunteer with the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign.

Presentations
Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Update 2010 – National Business Institute & West LegalEd Center - March 2010

Transit, Land Use and Local Politics – Pecha Kucha Tampa Bay - April 2010

Bar Admissions
Florida

Federal Court Admissions
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
United States District Court, Northern District of Florida