William R. Scherer, III
Top rated Business Litigation attorney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Conrad & Scherer, LLP
Practice areas: Business Litigation, Construction Litigation, Personal Injury; view more
Licensed in Florida since: 1995
Education: University of Miami School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2025 Call today:
954-546-7822
Conrad & Scherer, LLP
614 S Federal HwyFort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Visit website
Details
William R. Scherer, III is a Senior Partner in Conrad & Scherer’s Fort Lauderdale office. With more than 28 years of experience, he focuses his practice on commercial and real estate litigation, employment litigation, and personal injury cases. His extensive experience covers all phases of civil litigation, including jury trials.
William has handled numerous complex commercial and real estate litigation cases. His work includes secondary banking liability claims against financial institutions for aiding and abetting fraud, mold disputes between commercial landlords and tenants, and fraud and misrepresentation claims related to high-value residential and commercial sales. Additionally, William has successfully litigated construction defect disputes, contractor lien challenges, and landlord-tenant disagreements in both commercial and residential settings. He is also experienced in condominium association disputes and a variety of business and personal tort and contract claims. Notably, William was a key member of the legal team that secured the historic $1.1 billion verdict in the Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Wells Fargo case, the largest jury verdict of its kind in Florida history, representing beneficiaries of the Seminole Minors’ Trust. This landmark case reflects his ability to navigate complex financial disputes and pursue significant recoveries for clients.
In the area of employment litigation, William has represented both employers and employees in disputes arising under federal and state labor laws. His expertise includes cases involving Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and the Florida Civil Rights Act. William has also initiated and defended charges of discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He frequently drafts, negotiates, and interprets employment and severance agreements for individuals joining or leaving companies.
William’s litigation experience also extends to personal injury and wrongful death claims. He has represented clients in cases involving automobile, boating, and motorcycle accidents, as well as other personal injury situations where individuals have been harmed due to negligence.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Construction Litigation: Business, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Real Estate: BusinessFocus areas
Animal Bites, Assault, Brain Injury, Condominiums & Cooperatives, Construction Accident, Construction Defects, Dram Shop Laws, Landlord/Tenant, Mortgage & Refinance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Non-Compete Agreements, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Short Sale, Slip and Fall, Toxic Mold, Trade Secret, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 60% Business Litigation
- 20% Construction Litigation: Business
- 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% Real Estate: Business
First Admitted: 1995, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.conradscherer.com/attorney/william-r-scherer-iii...
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 2011
- District of Columbia, 2010
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 2008
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 1996
- Florida Bar, 1995
- Stevens Weiss v. Atlantic Recording Corporation, Case No. 04-60910 (S.D. Fla.) William R. Scherer III was lead counsel representing preeminent entertainment attorney Stevens H. Weiss in an action against Atlantic Recording Corporation. The case concerned Weiss’ entitlement to royalties on sales of Led Zeppelin releases, How the West Was Won and Led Zeppelin DVD and involved the interpretation of what was included as “catalogue” in Weiss’ agreement with Atlantic which stemmed from Weiss’ prior representation of the band during the late 60’s through the early 80’s. Mr. Scherer was able to draw upon his knowledge and experience in music recording and performance during cross examination of recording engineer Eddie Kramer and Led Zeppelin band member Jimmy Page in depositions. The case was resolved through a confidential settlement., 2006
- The Broward Times, Inc. v. North Broward Hospital District, Case No. 04-61563 (S.D. Fla.) William R. Scherer III was lead counsel representing the North Broward Hospital District in an action brought by a newspaper alleging the District violated its First Amendment rights when it canceled its job recruitment advertisements with the newspaper after the newspaper published two editorial columns which were critical of the District as an employer. The court agreed with Mr. Scherer’s position that the District’s cancelation of its job recruitment advertisements with the newspaper was justified and did not violate the newspaper’s First Amendment rights where the newspaper’s critical editorial columns frustrated the very purpose for the District doing business with the paper and placing advertisements to recruit employees. The court entered summary judgment in favor of Mr. Scherer’s client on the First Amendment claim upon concluding that the speech was not protected under the circumstances involved in the case.
- Russell v. N. Broward Hosp., 346 F.3d 1335 (11th Cir. 2003) William R. Scherer III successfully represented the North Broward Hospital District in a lawsuit brought by an employee of the District who claimed that her termination of employment by the District for excessive absenteeism violated her rights under the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). The case was tried to a jury and resulted in a defense verdict in favor of Mr. Scherer’s client, the District, which was later affirmed on appeal. The case addressed an important and previously unresolved question of whether a “period of incapacity of more than three calendar days”, for purposes of establishing a “serious health condition” which was necessary for coverage by the FMLA, required 72 consecutive hours of incapacity (i.e. being physically unable to work) or whether intermittent but not constant incapacity over a three-day period was sufficient. The trial court and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Mr. Scherer’s position that 72 uninterrupted hours of incapacity was required under the FMLA to constitute a serious health condition and Mr. Scherer’s client did not violate the FMLA by terminating its employee for excessive absenteeism where the employee did not have a serious health condition resulting in missed time from work., 2003
- Listed in Super Lawyers®, “Super Lawyer,” 2025
- Broward County 17th Judicial Circuit, Former Traffic Magistrate, 2002
- Included in the Best Lawyers in South Florida©, 2015
- Listed as one of the “FACES of Fort Lauderdale” in High-Stakes Litigation by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated Magazine, 2021
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, since 2005
- Recognized by Best Lawyers for the following areas: Real Estate Law, Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiff, Personal Injury Litigation defendants, Real Estate Litigation, Commercial Litigation 2015-2025
- University of Miami, Bachelor of Arts, 1991
Office location for William R. Scherer, III
614 S Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-546-7822
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2025
