Of Counsel
William F. Cobb
William Cobb is Of Counsel at Cobb & Gonzalez, bringing over 44 years of experience in business and real estate litigation. Admitted to The Florida Bar in December 1980, Mr. Cobb has focused his practice on construction, business, lending institution, and real estate litigation. He has tried hundreds of non-jury cases and more than a dozen jury trials throughout his distinguished career.
Mr. Cobb possesses extensive experience in all facets of litigation, including appellate work. He has also handled a limited transactional practice involving family law, adoptions, wills and estates, real estate, contracts, and business formation. His litigation practice spans the entire Florida court system, and he has been admitted pro hac vice in Arkansas and the American Virgin Islands federal court. In addition to courtroom litigation, Mr. Cobb is highly experienced in both mediation and arbitration.
A combat veteran of the United States Army, Mr. Cobb served in Vietnam with the First Infantry Division. Following his military service, he earned his Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University, and later obtained his Juris Doctor from Nova School for the Study of Law (now the Shepard Broad College of Law) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—all while serving as a police officer for the City of Pompano Beach.
Since relocating to St. Augustine in 2018, Mr. Cobb enjoys life with his wife of 52 years, Susan. In his free time, he pursues hobbies such as carpentry, artistic painting, hunting, and spending time with his family.
Honors and Awards
- AV® Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
Admissions
- The Florida Bar, 1980
- The Broward Bar Association
- The Jacksonville Bar Association
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals Eleventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- Nova Southeast University, B.S., Cum Laude
- Nova Law School, J.D.
PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME
- Assisted at trial with representation of a Canadian Marble company in the exterior application on a large commercial building in downtown Fort Lauderdale against the builder, resulting in a jury verdict in excess of $1,000,000.00.
- Assisted at trial with representation of a wrongfully debarred contractor involving a governmental entity resulting in a jury verdict in excess of $400,000.00.
- Admitted in the federal court for the United States Virgin Islands to handle a roofing contractor’s action for payment against a governmental agency. Case settled by payment prior to commencement of the trial.
- Handled multiple construction contract disputes between contractors, subcontractors and owners with successful results for the clients, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
- Successfully represented the Defendant, an international manufacturer and distributor of malted waffle flour in a franchise dispute, resulting in a jury verdict in excess of $100,000.00.
- Successfully represented two Plaintiffs, a Nevada corporation and Florida corporation, a fix base operator of jets and jet leasing company, involving a contract and business partner dispute and corporate dissolution, resulting in a jury verdict in excess of $4,000,000.00.
- Successfully represented Plaintiff in a contract dispute involving advertising with a national lending institution involving in excess of $300,000.00. Case settled during jury deliberation for near the full amount.
- Successfully represented a developer in the elimination of over 200 time share interests in a building in order to develop the building as a hotel complex.
- Handled multiple business contract disputes in trial, mediation and arbitration with successful results for clients, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
- Represented 15 upland property owners involving an easement with the State of Florida for the shoreline restoration at the Pompano Beach Inlet. Successfully negotiated the giving of the easement to the state while retaining ownership of the restored shoreline to the property owners.
- Handled multiple cases involving land title or easement disputes between owners, dominant and subservient tenants, with successful results for the client.
- Handled multiple real estate related contract issues between buyer, seller and agents, with successful results for the client, both at trial and mediation.
- Admitted in Arkansas to handle a mortgage foreclosure in excess of $3,000,000.00 for a national lending institution. Case settled after the presentation of evidence for the full amount.
- Tried in excess of 1,000 mortgage foreclosure cases for national and regional lenders and their servicers throughout the state of Florida resulting in judgment for the lender.
- Represented condominium association in enforcement of community rental restriction and pursuit of violations against offending unit owners.
- Handled hundreds of community association and condominium assessment foreclosure matters, including lender foreclosure matters.
- Drafted condominium opinion letters on interpretation of condominium declarations concerning ownership and maintenance of units v. common elements, parking issues, repair requirements, quorum issues and voting issues.
- Successfully defended condominium association in contested unit owner dispute concerning water intrusion and mold abatement.
- Analyzed community association rental program for approval of tenants and drafted resolutions, applications, and other documents effectuating rental program.
- Drafted and negotiated hundreds of estoppel requests for payment of back assessments and lender safe harbor amounts.
- Analyze title issues to confirm ownership of various condominium units.
- Drafted hundreds of demand letters to unit owners for lien actions, termination of community access privileges, parking issues, declaration violations, nuisance issues and demands to unit owner tenants to pay delinquent assessments.
- Drafted and reviewed association tenant rental programs and effectuated eviction of nonconforming tenants.
- Analyzed and drafted documents for developer-controlled association to release easement rights and secure indemnity from unit owner regarding same.
Professional, Trade & Philanthropic Affiliations
- Mr. Cobb taught Family Law and Corporate Law in the paralegal program at Broward Community College, now Broward College, between 1985 and 1989. Mr. Cobb has attained the status of partner with several of the law firms with which he has been associated and was responsible for the statewide training, management and development of all the litigation attorneys with his last firm.
- Jacksonville Bar Association
- Associated Builders and Contractors – First Coast Chapter
- St. Johns County Tiger Bay Club
- St. Johns County Sheriffs Office Citizen Law Enforcement Academy
- Post-Judgement Attorney’s Fees Hearing
- Construction Contracts Escalation Cause
- Do we Really Need an Attorney’s Fee Expert?
- Can you Recover Attorney Fees for Litigating the Amount of Attorney Fees?
- Attorney Fees Billing Practices
- Private Investor Assignment of Mortgage
- Time is of the Essence Clauses
- Construction Contract Time is of the Essence Clauses
- Buying a Condominium to Lease? Buyer Beware!