William D.

Hall, III

Position: Partner
Office: Tallahassee

Will Hall is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and the firm’s commercial dispute resolution and arbitration team, where he focuses his practice on administrative and civil litigation, with an emphasis on matters involving regulatory agencies and the entities that fall under their oversight. He is also a member of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment and Gaming Industry Teams.

With more than a decade of experience, Will has represented private and public clients in cases involving state procurements/bid protests, state licensing, and administrative rules/rulemaking, among other issues. He has also served as lead counsel in a broad range of state and federal trial court cases involving business disputes and civil matters and has a strong record of success arguing cases before state courts of appeal.

Will also advises clients on ongoing administrative and legal compliance matters. He represents clients before state regulators in connection with obtaining necessary approvals and waivers, developing administrative guidance, and helping businesses, associations, and individuals navigate complex regulatory environments. Will has extensive experience assisting clients in highly regulated and emerging industries, including gaming, medical marijuana, and the name, image, and likeness (NIL) market for college athletes. He counsels clients on NIL issues such as athlete contracting, employment questions, Title IX considerations, transfer portal impacts, enforcement trends, athletic department structure, and other matters at the forefront of college athletics.

Will has vast experience advising clients on state licensure and bid submission issues, including matters involving gaming and other highly regulated industries. He helps ensure that clients are positioned to defend the award, or challenge the denial, of a license or contract. Well versed in the review and analysis of published specifications, he provides strategic guidance on the viability of challenges to such specifications and helps clients conform their applications or bids to an agency’s criteria or parameters.

Prior to entering private practice, Will was chief attorney for the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering within the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where he served as the chief legal adviser and lead litigator for regulatory matters involving the state’s racetracks and jai alai facilities and their associated cardrooms and casinos. In that capacity, he managed a team of attorneys, advised the division director on legal matters, reviewed and commented on proposed legislation, and participated in the promulgation of administrative rules. This experience provides him with firsthand insight into the regulatory, licensing, and enforcement issues facing gaming operators and other industry participants.

Previously, Will was an assistant state’s attorney in Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, where he represented the state in dozens of criminal jury trials, including those for misdemeanor charges such as driving under the influence and domestic battery as well as complex felonies such as murder and sex crimes.

In addition to his litigation practice, Will is also a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator for circuit civil disputes.