William Cantrell
William Cantrell
Attorney
EDUCATION
FSU College of Law, J.D.,
magna cum laude, 2008
FSU Graduate School, M.A.(International Economics), cum laude, 2005
Mercer University, B.A., 2004
HONORS
ADMISSIONS
William Cantrell, Founding Partner of Cantrell Schuette, P.A. is a nationally recognized leading attorney in handling complex disputes, litigation, and trials. Apart from his background in general commercial litigation, he specializes the areas of employment law, partnership and shareholder law, and franchisee/dealership law.
Mr. Cantrell’s clients are often referred to him by other attorneys and former and current clients. A focused and strategic trial lawyer and negotiator, Mr. Cantrell is frequently awarded legal industry distinctions and awards, including obtaining an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell (peer reviewed) and selection into Super Lawyers (by multiple states), the Florida Legal Elite, and U.S. News Best Lawyers.
Having over two decades of experience, Mr. Cantrell has earned a national reputation as a go-to attorney for top executives and professionals, high-growth entrepreneurs, and franchisees nationwide. His experience in litigating restrictive covenants (i.e., non-competes, non-solicits, NDAs) and trade secrets in virtually all contexts is perhaps unparalleled, having represented over 500 clients in such matters.
To provide more comprehensive services to select corporate clients, Mr. Cantrell is also Of Counsel with a national law firm. Mr. Cantrell has experience in most industries, and especially in insurance, financial services, solar, franchising, recruiting/staffing, and healthcare (including hospital, clinics, research, dental, and veterinary).
Mr. Cantrell also lobbies federal and state lawmakers representing workers and franchisees’ interests. Mr. Cantrell is actively involved in many organizations, including the American Bar Association (on the committees overseeing developments in wage and hour laws and non-compete/non-solicit laws), National Employment Lawyers Association, and Franchisee & Dealership Associations.
Mr. Cantrell is a graduate of FSU College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2008), where he was selected for the Order of the Coif, graduating in the top five percent of his law class. He also received a master’s degree in international economics from FSU (M.A., cum laude, 2005). While in law school, Mr. Cantrell wrote an article making recommendations on how courts should interpret the dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which was published by Columbia Law School.
After law school, Will obtained a coveted judicial clerkship with the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Georgia. During law school, Mr. Cantrell worked with the Honorable W. Louis Sands, United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, and worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, in the Northern District of Florida.
Prior to founding what is now Cantrell Schuette, P.A,. Mr. Cantrell worked in Tampa, Florida at one of the world’s leading employment law firms and in Atlanta, Georgia at an elite law firm that handled tax and executive compensation matters. Will is married with two children.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND TRADE SECRETS
- Successfully obtained injunction in state court on behalf of leading electrical supply company against former sales executive in connection with breach of non-solicit agreement.
- Successfully represented an insurance sales producer by convincing prior employer, a regional insurance company, that its non-compete and non-solicit agreement was unenforceable. Obtained written agreement that company would abandon any efforts to enforce the agreement against the former employee, prior to any lawsuit being filed.
- Successfully obtained injunctive relief on behalf of a national home health care agency against several former employees and their new employer in connection with claims involving trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duties, and breach of non-solicits.
- Successfully obtained complete dismissal of lawsuit brought in federal court in Atlanta by a national staffing agency against several former employees asserting unfair competition and trade secret misappropriation.
- Successfully obtained substantial monetary recovery on behalf of a hospital against former physician-employee who started a competing practice less than 5-miles from the hospital and solicited former patients.
- Successfully obtained preliminary injunction in federal court on behalf of a regional bedding distributor against one of its former executives in connection with claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
- Successfully defended a medical supply company and certain sales employees of that company in a multi-state federal lawsuit, involving claims of breach of non-compete agreement and tortious interference. The opposing party, a national company, originally sought substantial damages and to enforce a non-compete agreement against the sales employees. Prior to injunction hearing, resolved case with no damages being paid and substantially reduced and narrowed the terms of the disputed restrictive covenants.
- Successfully represented multiple sales representatives and executives in lawsuits declaring non-compete and/or non-solicits unenforceable, including in Florida, Georgia, District of Columbia, New York, among other venues.
EXECUTIVE, PROFESSIONAL, AND ENTREPRENEUR REPRESENTATION
- Regularly hired as special counsel to negotiate executive employment agreements, restrictive covenants agreements, and separation agreements on behalf of high-compensated individuals, including top sales producers, c-suite executives, and founders of companies.
- Regularly represent individuals in successfully resolving disputes with their former employers in connection with starting new business ventures or transitioning to new companies.
- Prepare executive and sales employee employment agreements and restrictive covenants, including training businesses on policies and procedures to protect legitimate business interest.
- Regularly retained by small and mid-sized high growth companies to address critical regulatory or litigation threats.
- Regularly retained by physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals in business disputes and sensitive employment matters.
FRANCHISEE & DEALER REPRESENTATION
- Regularly represent aspiring and expanding franchisees with due diligence and negotiations, including review and guidance on Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), Franchise Agreements, Personal Guarantees, state registration, and franchisor, commercial lease, and supplier negotiations.
- Provides day-to-day employment and HR guidance to established franchisees.
- Regularly retained by franchisees in disputes with franchisors, including in pre-suit required mediations, arbitrations, and state and federal courts nationwide.
- Represent franchisees with partnership and shareholder disputes, as well as sensitive employment matters.
- Represented franchisees in virtually every industry, including for example restaurant, home services, hotel, fitness, foods, and e-commerce.
EMPLOYMENT LAW & COMPENSATION DISPUTES
- Obtained complete defense verdict and attorneys’ fees on behalf of a national medical company against a former executive claiming unlawful discrimination in a three-day arbitration in Miami.
- Successfully resolved FLSA collective action on behalf of group of recruiters, obtaining substantial damages and fees.
- Successfully resolved unpaid commission and retaliation claims on behalf of insurance agent in West Palm Beach obtaining substantial damages and fees.
- Successfully resolved unpaid commission and retaliation claims on behalf of recruiter in trucking industry based in Tampa, obtaining substantial damages and fees.
- Successfully prosecuted FLSA overtime federal lawsuit against national staffing agency in Atlanta.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict in federal court through motion for summary judgment on behalf of a gaming company in a collective action where the plaintiff alleged that the inclusion of certain employees in a tip pool violated the FLSA.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict on behalf of a national hospital management company following a two-day jury trial in Fort Lauderdale, in a case where a former employee alleged unlawful termination under the FMLA.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict in federal court through motion for summary judgment and oral argument on behalf of a hospital in Vero Beach, in a case where a former employee alleged unlawful retaliation under the FMLA.
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Contributing Author – The Fair Labor Standards Act, 2nd Edition
- Labor & Employment Section of the Clearwater Bar Association, Former Chair
SELECTED SEMINARS
- FTC New Non-Compete Rule and the Future of Non-Competes – The Florida Home Health Care Associate – June 2024
- “Restrictive Covenants and Non-Compete Agreements: Trends, Developments, and Best Practices” – Part of Panel of Experts for The Knowledge Group – April 2022
- “Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants for Insurance Professionals” – Insurance Agents of Tampa Bay – September 2022
- “Advanced Tips on Drafting, Enforcing, and Defeating Restrictive Covenants” – Hillsborough County Bar Association, Section of Corporate Counsel – May 2017
- “Restrictive Covenants: Basically Everything You Need to Know” – Central Florida Health Underwriters – December 2016
- “The DOL’s Final Revisions to Overtime Regulations” – Nature Coast SHRM – October 2016
- “Best Hiring Practices” – SFACCA – April 2016
- “Pay Me Now or Pay Me (More) Later – Avoiding Wage and Hour Lawsuits” – RACCA – March 12, 2015
- “Health Care Reform: Complying with the Next Wave of Requirements and Learning to Pay or Play” – Lakeland Polk County Association of Health Underwriters – September 2014
- “Bulletproofing Your Pre-Employment Process: An Overview of Criminal Background Checks, Credit Checks, and Drug Testing” – Tampa – September 04, 2014
- “Employee Benefits: ERISA Litigation Avoidance Made Easy” – May 2014
- “Wage, Hour, and Benefits Issues for Employers” – National Business Institute – August 2013
PUBLISHED WORKS
- Regular Contributing Author, The Executive Advocate
- “Misclassification Initiatives Spread as Florida Signs Formal Pact with DOL” – January 2015 – online Legal Blog
- “DOL Issues Guidance on ACA Exchange Notices and COBRA Election Notices” – October 2013 – Suncoast HR Newsletter
- “Cleaning Up the Mess: United Haulers, the Dormant Commerce Clause, and Transition Costs Economics” – 2009 – Columbia Journal of Environmental Law