Loyalty, Excellence, and Honor Bring Success

Williams Parker President Ric Gregoria Keeps Firm Focused on Values and Service.

Founded in 1925 by JJ Williams, Jr., who stressed the importance of commitment to clients, service to community, and devotion to excellence in the practice of law, Williams Parker has remained committed to those guiding principles for nearly a century.

Celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, President Ric Gregoria has led the firm through a time of growth and expansion. His leadership has seen Williams Parker acknowledged by US News & World Report as a "Best Law Firm"—a title it has held since the inception of the award in 2010—and himself as a 2019 "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America. Of his honor, Gregoria says, “It’s humbling to know this was a decision by my peers.”

As Williams Parker turns 95, what has been your vision in helming such a stable, storied firm?
Our firm has had a very small number of presidents, and each one's tenure has been significant. I feel the honor of my position and the weight. You know that you are the custodian of all that history, everyone who has come before, the people who work here now, our clients, and the entire Williams Parker family.  We will maintain our values handed to us by our founders while continuing to step into a new world of business efficiencies and modern specialties essential for our firm to continue to thrive. I first came to work at Williams Parker because of its values, reputation, and relationship with its clients. Even as we carefully grow and expand, our traditional values always serve as our “pole star” and guide us.

Why do clients continue to choose Williams Parker?
I think of us as 'counselors of law' rather than 'attorneys at law.' Williams Parker's job is to be a counselor to our clients, to always keep their ironclad trust, to listen to and understand their concerns and goals, and to guide them in a challenging world. We always do what is best for them, their families, and their companies. We always, always put our clients first. That’s one of the key reasons for the firm’s success.  We hire the best talent, let our people shine, and recognize that every member of our team is important. When a client comes to Williams Parker, they quickly learn that we are here for them, first and foremost. They can trust us, and we will always serve their best interests. That’s becoming more rare in our industry.

What makes Williams Parker so distinctive?
We could readily become a very large firm - multilocation, multistate - based on our success and reputation, but our choice is to remain a closely-knit team. We recruit and retain the very best attorneys, supported by the very best staff, all guided by a mission to always work to benefit our clients. We know our clients have many choices in legal services. Williams Parker strives today, just as it did in 1925, to provide the best legal guidance, while maintaining the highest ethics and values. There’s a reason why Williams Parker stands toe-to-toe with major city law firms many times our size. Loyalty, excellence, and honor always bring success. 

BY THE NUMBERS
50 ATTORNEYS
31 MARTINDALE-HUBBELL AV-RATED ATTORNEYS
22 BOARD CERTIFICATIONS BY THE FLORIDA BAR
14 ATTORNEYS WITH AN LLM IN TAXATION
13 LEADERSHIP SARASOTA GRADUATES 
8 SARASOTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS
6 ATTORNEYS WHO ARE CPAS
4 ATTORNEYS WITH AN MBA
4 ATTORNEYS WITH A MASTERS IN ACCOUNTING
1 ATTORNEY WITH AN MD

(941) 366-4800 | www.WilliamsParker.com