WILLIAM H. (BILL) HARRELL

1946-2017

Founder and Senior Partner of Harrell & Harrell P.A., William H. (Bill) Harrell was born in Lake City, Florida in 1946. Bill was the son of a career Air Force pilot and grew up in places all around the world. He attended high school at Mobile, Alabama’s University Military School where he was a stand-out athlete in basketball and football.

Bill followed his father’s footsteps attending the University of Florida on a full athletic scholarship in football. After experiencing a career-ending knee injury as a freshman, he followed another family tradition and enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and was later appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

After completing his military service, Bill returned to the University of Florida where he was a member of the Florida Blue Key and Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He graduated college with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration in 1971. He put himself through law school at the University of Florida while working as a deputy sheriff for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. In 1974, Bill graduated and was ultimately inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in recognition of his leadership, athletic and academic accomplishments.

Bill started a firm in Melbourne, Florida after law school,  that became the largest multi-specialty law firm on Central Florida’s east coast. Bill’s remarkable career as a trial lawyer crossed many fields. He represented diverse clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies and municipalities. He was AV-rated by Martindale Hubble, their highest rating based on peer evaluations and became board-certified in civil trial law in 1988, with more than 100 jury trials.

In 1991, Bill and his family moved to Jacksonville, where he soon started Harrell & Harrell, P.A., a widely-known, successful law firm specializing in personal injury. He practiced law at Harrell & Harrell with two of his four children, trial attorneys Holt and Julie as well as his second wife of nearly 20 years, trial attorney and the Firm’s President, Renee Daigle Harrell. His daughter Kimberly Chapman (B.S., MBA) joined the firm in 2009 and is now the Executive Director.  His fourth child, Susan is an Executive Chef, with her Bachelor ‘s Degree in Culinary Science. Bill Harrell led the firm that served the First Coast for over 25 years, until his passing in 2017.

Bill gave back to the community philanthropically and to the legal industry throughout his entire career. He was active in the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (now known as the FJA), serving on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and received numerous awards for his support of the organization including the Crystal Eagle Award. He was also President of the First Amendment Society, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of the First Amendment as well as a trustee of the Florida Lawyers Action Group. Bill was a member of the Shriners as well as a Mensa, and a Master in the Masonic Lodge.

Bill’s personal interest and hobbies were also varied, ranging from being a prolific reader, to an expert navigator in boating and sailing. Bill never forgot his love of Florida football, being a Bull Gator since 1984 and an original skybox owner. Bill’s passion for Gator football is shared by his family, including his 6 grandchildren today.

In 2016, Bill was recognized as Attorney of the Month by Attorney at Law Magazine First Coast edition. The publication’s profile of Bill tells the story of the long-standing family tradition of military service and law school, the family’s centuries-old roots in Florida, and Bill’s unusual path to where he is today.

Click here for the full article in Attorney at Law magazine.

Bill Harrell’s legacy in his firm and the community will leave a lasting impression for generations to come.