Joel W. Walters

Joel W. Walters, Board Certified in Business Litigation, is a shareholder in the law firm of Walters Levine Parisi & DeGrave, where he practices in the areas of business litigation, construction, insurance and real property disputes.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

During his years of practice, Joel has concentrated his practice in business law and general commercial litigation and is frequently called upon to advise clients in regard to: contract disputes; construction and suretyship matters; corporate and shareholder disputes and insurance matters. In so doing, he regularly handles complex, multi-partied litigation in state and federal court and in cases referred to arbitration. By virtue of his substantial experience in construction law, Joel has been accepted by the American Arbitration Association on its National Panel of Arbitrators and is approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to serve as a speaker for continuing education programs for licensed contractors and design professionals in Florida. Joel is also a well-respected lecturer and published author as to topics relating to business law and litigation. He is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida to serve as a court-appointed mediator in every circuit court in Florida. He is admitted to practice before all local and state courts in Missouri and Florida, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the Western District of Missouri, and the Eighth and Eleventh U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal. He is a member of the Sarasota County and American Bar Associations, the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Florida Bar and Missouri Bar.

EDUCATION AND SCHOLASTICS

Joel received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia and his Juris Doctor degree, with distinction, from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. While in law school, he served on the moot court board and received the American Jurisprudence Award for excellence in family law. Following graduation, Joel served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Robert T. Donnelly, (now retired), Supreme Court of Missouri.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Joel is a past president and current board member of the Police Athletic League of Sarasota County. Joel has served on the Board of Directors of the Sunnyland Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Longboat Key Recreation Center and volunteers his time to many other charitable and civic causes. He is currently a member of the Sarasota Rotary Club.