William E. Lawton
Mr. Lawton was born April 10, 1949 in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Lawton’s family settled in Florida area in the late 1800’s. He has many ties to the state. His family has been actively involved in various community affairs since the 1900’s, particularly in the area of public education. Mr. Lawton’s great-grandfather, R.W. Lawton, was a member of the Orange County School Board. His grandfather, T.W. Lawton, was Superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools for over 30 years.
Mr. Lawton attended the University of Florida where he received his undergraduate degree in 1971 and his Juris Doctor in 1973.
In 1976, Mr. Lawton, along with Goble Dean, Andrew Ringers and Dale Morgan, formed the law firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P.A. He has served as its managing partner since the firm’s inception. Mr. Lawton is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, and has an AV rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He has tried many cases throughout the State of Florida, in both the State and Federal Courts and has extensive experience representing clients in arbitration proceedings.
Mr. Lawton is admitted to practice in the State of Florida, the District of Columbia and New York State. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, as well as the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Western District of Washington, the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the Fifth District Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Lawton is a member of The Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association, American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, The District of Columbia Bar, Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
In the past ten years, Mr. Lawton has represented governmental entities in approximately a thousand cases involving various types of negligence claims, which have included wrongful death and significant serious injury matters, as well as sexual harassment, discrimination, police brutality, wrongful termination, etc.