Will began his practice with the firm in 1999, and he has served in numerous leadership roles within the firm including as a member of the Executive Committee. His practice focuses on complex, high exposure matters largely in the healthcare field including medical malpractice claims, qui tam actions, batch claims, infectious disease outbreaks and multi-district litigation. Will has extensive experience both in trying complex cases to a jury verdict, and also seeking solutions to high risk problems through mediation and other methods of alternative dispute resolution. He regularly litigates cases in state and federal courts, and has experience arguing before the 11th Circuit. Will also concentrates on advising hospitals and academic medical centers on safety, compliance, and systems issues which can be used to avoid future litigation. He has led teams in conducting root cause analyses, counseled academic medical centers on best practices around the country, and advised hospitals on emergency plans and protocols during the COVID crisis. He regularly speaks at seminars and grand rounds on multiple topics where law and medicine intersect.
Professional Recognition
•fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates
•Named 'Lawyer of the Year” for Healthcare Litigation & Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants in the 2023, 2025 and 2026 editions of Best Lawyers in America.
•Listed in Best Lawyers in America
•Super Lawyer in Alabama by Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine
•Litigation Star for Alabama in Benchmark Litigation
•AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbell
Highlights
•Obtained a defense verdict for a general surgeon in case involving allegations of negligently performing abdominal surgery resulting in the retention of a foreign body which caused various injuries and damages to the patient.
•Obtained a defense verdict for a urologist accused of negligently and wantonly allowing a retained wire fragment to remain in a patient’s urinary tract over several months following a procedure to remove kidney stones.
•Obtained a jury verdict in favor of two surgeons accused of negligently delaying surgery to repair a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
•Obtained a defense verdict for an obstetrician in a case claiming negligence in failing to remove a sponge from the patient’s body after vaginal delivery, resulting in alleged permanent pelvic floor injury.
•Obtained defense verdict for a Birmingham internal medicine physician in a lawsuit alleging wrongful death of a 26 year old mentally disabled female.
•Obtained defense verdict in a medical malpractice on behalf of a family medicine physician in a prolonged 8-week trial with multiple defendants.
•Obtained a defense verdict at trial for an emergency physician in a case alleging negligent failure to diagnose septic arthritis, resulting in below the knee amputation.
•Obtained a defense verdict for a pediatrician in an eight-day trial in a case involving alleged negligent failure to diagnose subarachnoid hemorrhage in a fifteen year old girl, resulting in brain surgery and brain injury.
•Obtained a defense verdict at trial on behalf of an ENT Medical Facility alleging unsafe conditions caused injuries to patients including a rare neurologic condition, ultimately leading to surgical implantation of spinal cord stimulator.
•Obtained summary judgment for medical center in a case alleging unethical research practices caused permanent developmental injuries to neonates.
•Obtained dismissal of Qui Tam/False Claims Act for two physicians which was affirmed by the 11th Circuit.
•Successfully represented hospital in coordination with CDC during outbreak of harmful bacterium resulting multiple deaths.
Presentations and Publications
•Keynote presenter, “Liability Issues for Nurse Anesthetists,” ALANA Fall Convention.
•Keynote presenter, “Medical Liability for Third-Party Nonpatients,” ALAMTA Regional.
•CLE Presenter, “Cutting Edge Issues in Medical Malpractice,” National Business Institute.
News & Insights
• Starnes Attorneys Axon, Harpool & Bates Obtain Defense Verdict in Wrongful Death Trial
• Benchmark Litigation 2026 Ranks Starnes Davis Florie as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm
•SDF’s Axon, Butler, Ezelle & McCall Named 2026 “Best Lawyers of the Year”
•35 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2026
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm in the 2025 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•SDF’s Axon, Bates & Butler Named Best Lawyers “2025 Lawyer of the Year”
•33 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2025
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Litigation Firm” in the 2024 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•30 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2024
•Starnes Davis Florie Highly Ranked in Benchmark Litigation 2023
•SDF’S AXON, EZELLE & HINES NAMED BEST LAWYERS “2023 LAWYER OF THE YEAR”
•30 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2023
•SDF’s Axon & Harpool Obtain Defense Verdict in Medical Malpractice/Professional Liability Trial
•STARNES RANKED AS A “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FIRM” IN THE 2022 EDITION OF BENCHMARK LITIGATION
•29 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2022
•Starnes Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Firm” in the 2021 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•Twenty-Six SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2021
•Another Appellate Win for SDF - Affirmance of Defense Verdict at Trial
•SDF’s Axon & Newton Obtain Defense Verdict in Five Day Trial
•THIRTY-ONE SDF ATTORNEYS NAMED TO THE 2019 EDITION OF MID-SOUTH SUPER LAWYERS
