Experience
Charles T. (Charley) Wells is a member of the firm's Appellate and Litigation practice groups. Mr. Wells serves as an expert witness in cases involving claims of legal malpractice, and claims alleging insurer's bad faith. He is a Registered Legislative Lobbyist in issues of Tort and Insurance Reform.
Immediately prior to joining GrayRobinson he served for more than fourteen years as a Justice on the Florida Supreme Court serving as the Chief Justice from July 1, 2000 until July 1, 2002. He presided over the election cases which were decided by the Court following the Presidential election in November 2000, and which have collectively become known as Bush v Gore. During his tenure on the Florida Supreme Court he participated in decisions, and wrote majority and dissenting opinions, covering the entire breadth of Florida law. These included cases involving products liability, medical malpractice and a wide variety of other complex tort claims, various insurance coverage and bad faith issues, state and local taxation, public records and open meetings laws, bond validations, criminal law, and the application of the Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal procedure, Rules of Evidence, Rules of Judicial Administration, and Rules of Discipline.
He served six years as the state court representative of the Standing Committee on Federal Practice and Procedure of the Federal Judicial Conference. This is a 16 member committee to which the various federal rules committees report their recommendations for revisions to the federal rules.
Before his appointment to the Florida Supreme Court in 1994 he practiced law in the areas of tort, insurance and construction law for twenty eight years in Orlando. He represented claimants, insurers and sureties in his practice.
He has been an active participant in the Bar. He served as a member of Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, President of the Orange County Bar Association, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Orange County Legal Aid Society.
He is a graduate of the University of Florida with BA and JD degrees. He is past President of Florida Blue Key, in the University's Hall of Fame, has been recognized as an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa, as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Florida, and has served as the Judge Peter Fay Jurist in Residence at the University of Florida's Levin College of Law for 2010.
Background
He is a native Floridian, who was born in Orlando on March 4, 1939, the son of Julia Talley Wells and J.R. Wells. In 1957, he graduated from William R. Boone High School in Orlando. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1961 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida in 1964. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Florida Blue Key, and the University of Florida Hall of Fame. He was honored by being awarded recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Florida in 2001.
He is a member of St. Luke United Methodist in Windermere, Florida. Mr. Wells is a veteran, having served in the United States Army.
Mr. Wells and his wife Linda Fischer Wells moved to Tallahassee from Orlando upon his appointment to the Supreme Court. They have three children, Charles Talley Wells, Jr., who is a lawyer in Atlanta; Shelley Wells Collins, who is a medical doctor on the staff of Shands Hospital in Gainesville; and Ashley Wells Greene, who is a lawyer in Jacksonville. Mr. and Mrs. Wells have five grandsons, Robbie Collins, Evan Wells, Cooper Collins, Jackson Collins and Fenn Greene; and they have two granddaughters, Madison Greene and Julia Wells.
On June 24, 2009, Mr. Wells was interviewed on "Intersection," WMFE-FM, 90.7 Talk Radio. Mr. Wells sat on the state's highest court during some of its most controversial cases in recent times. Those cases included the contested 2000 Presidential Election, the Terri Schiavo case and others. Host Mark Simpson spoke with Mr. Wells about the experience. Click here to hear the interview.
Professional
· The Florida Bar
· Admitted in all Florida Courts
· Admitted, United States District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
· Admitted, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
· Admitted, United States Court of Claims
· Admitted, Supreme Court of the United States
· "AV" Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
· AAA Roster of Neutrals, Member
Articles and Publications
· Co-author, "D'Amario v Ford: Time to Expressly State the Decision Is No Longer Viable" Vol 85, No. 4, Florida Bar Journal, April 2011.