Aycock, Kyla

The 2009 loss of William N. (Bill) Avera was acutely felt not only by his family, staff, and professional colleagues of many years, but by so many admiring members of the North Florida community that attendance to his memorial service numbered in excess of 500 people.

Bill Avera was raised in Gainesville, Florida, in a house that is, ironically, now the present location of the Alachua County Judicial Center. After completion of his military service in the United States Navy during WWII, Bill attended the University of Florida where he completed a degree in Law. He spent his entire professional career representing the people of Florida.

His peers say that Bill Avera possessed legendary skill in the courtroom, with his ability to read people giving him a natural advantage in adjusting his advocacy.

Widely known as one of the first lawyers in the State of Florida to devote his practice solely to helping the injured and survivors of personal injury and wrongful death, Bill Avera dedicated his life and career to aiding people in recovering compensation after tragic circumstances struck.

From successfully forcing railroads to install lighted and flashing signs at crossings in the 1960s, to holding Honda accountable for its negligently designed 3-wheel ATV in the 1980s, his career spanned nearly five decades of service to society.

Bill Avera was a member of the Florida Bar, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocacy, the American Association for Justice and was one of the first presidents of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, now known as the Florida Justice Association.