I was born in Sanford, Florida in 1954, the fourth child of Herbert and Catherine Hill. I was raised in Pensacola until age 10, then moved to Sarasota. After eight years of parochial schooling, I attended and graduated from Sarasota Riverview High School in 1972, with high honors. My interests as a youth were the usual sports, baseball, and football, but also I played golf and was the Florida State Junior Jaycees Golf Champion in 1971 and represented the State of Florida in the Junior World Jaycees tournament in San Diego, California, that same year. The only remaining significance to all this is that I later named my fourth child, my son, Torrey, after the golf course on which that tournament was played.
After high school, I matriculated at the University of Florida where, in 1976, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from the Fisher School of Accounting. While at UF, I was on the golf team during which time I quickly learned I needed to go to law school because I was not going to be able to feed the family I wanted to have with my ability to putt.
In 1976, I commenced my law school education at Cumberland Law School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where I was preceded by a brother and other members of my extended family. I graduated in 1979 with high honors. Because of my academic achievement, I was inducted into the honorary academic society Curia Honoris.
While clerking for a law firm in Birmingham during law school, I came in contact with a long-time, well-known law firm in New Orleans which offered me a position after graduation. Being young and fairly carefree, I decided to try it out. In October of 1979, I became a member of the Louisiana Bar and was admitted to practice before the various state and federal courts in that jurisdiction. However, after a couple of years there I decided I wanted to return to my roots and came to live and work in Central Florida where I have an extensive extended family. I have been a member of the Florida Bar since 1981. Since that time I have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Florida as well as all state courts. I am also admitted to practice before the United States District Court of the Middle District of Florida. I am a member of various sections of the Florida Bar.
My practice over the years has focused on litigation. The primary emphasis is in the area of group disability and medical claims under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and insurance disputes of all types with an emphasis on disability insurance benefits.
I am married to Sherrie Latham Hill, herself a long-time Central Florida resident. Our greatest joy is parenting our five children who now range in age from 30-38, and we are blessed to have four beautiful grandchildren who bring us endless happiness. Each child and grandchild is a special gift to us. We are sustaining members of All Saints Episcopal Parish in Winter Park where I serve as Head of the St. Joseph’s Team. We also enjoy time spent working with Bible Study Fellowship. We both love to study the Bible and for recreation, we enjoy long walks, fishing, and fitness exercise. I am a member of the New Canaan Society in Orlando. I am proud to be a fourth-generation Floridian.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to review any legal issues you may have to see if I can be of any assistance in reaching a timely and favorable resolution.