FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
614 South Federal Highway
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
Fax: (954) 463-9244
William R. Scherer, Jr. is the founding partner of Conrad & Scherer, a premier litigation firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale, North Carolina, and Ecuador. With a legal career spanning over five decades, Scherer has built a reputation as a tireless advocate for his clients and a leader in high-stakes litigation.
In 2025, Scherer secured a historic $1.1+ billion jury verdict in Gopher v. Wells Fargo, the largest in Florida’s history against a solvent bank or public company. This landmark case, representing approximately 2,000 children of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, exposed significant breaches of fiduciary duty and intentional gross misconduct by Wells Fargo, resulting in a resounding victory for the tribe’s minors. Scherer’s leadership was critical in uncovering years of financial mismanagement, setting a powerful precedent for accountability in the financial industry.
Scherer also led the initial lawsuits against Chiquita Brands International for financing Colombian paramilitary groups responsible for human rights abuses, securing substantial compensation for the families of victims and establishing a significant precedent for corporate responsibility. He has represented major healthcare organizations in litigation against opioid manufacturers, addressing one of today’s most urgent public health crises.
Throughout his career, Scherer has handled some of the nation’s most high-profile cases, including representing President George W. Bush in the 2000 Broward County recount and leading the legal fight for victims of the multi-billion-dollar Scott Rothstein Ponzi scheme, one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.
Scherer has been consistently recognized for his impact in the legal community, including listings in Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers®, and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. He holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University and a Bachelor’s from Franklin College of Indiana. Scherer and his wife, Anne, are deeply involved in the South Florida community, supporting organizations like the Broward Center for the Arts, NSU College of Law, and St. Anthony’s Foundation for Education.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / AFFILIATIONS
- General Council for North Broward Hospital District – 1988 to 2005 (17 years)
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member/“Advocate”
- Broward Workshop, Board Member
- Broward County Ethics Commission
- City of Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, Board Member
- Franklin College Board of Trustees
- Judicial Nominating Commission for the Seventeenth Circuit, Gubernatorial Appointee (Governor Martinez, Governor Bush and Governor Scott)
- Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Gubernatorial Appointee (Governor Bush)
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Interim General Counsel, Gubernatorial Appointee (Governor Bush)
- Florida Lawyers for Bush, Statewide Co-Chair
- Florida Lawyers for Bush, Broward and Palm Beach County Chair
- Federal Bar, Grievance Panel for the Southern District of Florida
- Florida Patient Compensation Fund, Board of Directors
- Federal Bar Association, Broward County Chapter, Past President
AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS
- Recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions in Plaintiffs in Fort Lauderdale by The Best Lawyers in America©, 2025
- Recognized as one of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s “Top People to Know” in Florida Trend’s January 2025 Issue
- Recognized as a Best Lawyer in legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs for The Best Lawyers in America©, 2025
- Recognized as a Best Lawyer in Commercial Litigation for The Best Lawyers in America©, 2018 – 2025
- Recognized as a Best Lawyer in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs for The Best Lawyers in America©, 2022-2025
- Recognized as a Best Lawyer in Land Use and Zoning Law for The Best Lawyers in America©, 2023 – 2025
- Listed in Super Lawyers®, “Super Lawyer”, 2006 – 2018, 2020 – 2025
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, since 1987
- Selected as a “Top Lawyer” by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated Magazine for Business Litigation & Commercial Litigation, 2021
- Selected as a “Top Lawyer” by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated Magazine for Mass Tort Litigation & Class Action, 2020 – 2021
- Listed in South Florida Legal Guide, “Top Lawyer” for Commercial Litigation, 2006 – 2021
- Listed as one of the “FACES of Fort Lauderdale” in High-Stakes Litigation by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated Magazine, 2021
- Listed in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, “Florida Legal Elite”, 2004, 2010, 2014 and 2020
- Recognized as an “Apogee Award Honoree” by South Florida Business & Wealth, 2020
- Listed as one of the “FACES of Fort Lauderdale” in Complex Commercial Litigation by Fort Lauderdale Illustrated Magazine, 2019 – 2020
- Recognized as an “Ultimate CEO” by the South Florida Business Journal, 2013
- Listed in VerdictSearch’s, “Top 100 Verdicts of 2005”, 2005
- Recognized as “Most Effective Lawyer” by the Daily Business Review, 2005 and 2012
- Profiled as a “Power Broker” by the Sun-Sentinel Newspaper, 2002
- Listed as one of “The 50 Most Powerful People in Broward County” by Gold Coast Magazine, 2002
- Profiled as a “Political Power Broker” by Gold Coast Magazine, 2002
PUBLICATIONS/TEACHING & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- C5’s 3rd Forum “Fraud, Asset Tracing and Recovery,” Miami Beach, Florida, Speaker, “Miami Vice—Unraveling the $1.2 Billion Rothstein Ponzi Scheme,” October 2012
- American Board of Trial Advocates and the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of ABOTA “Masters In Opening Statements and Closing Arguments”, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Speaker, May 2011
- BankAtlantic Attorney Seminar, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Speaker, “Unraveling a Ponzi Scheme,” October 2010
- Boys and Girls Club of Broward County Men’s Luncheon, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Featured Speaker, “The Ponzi in its Aftermath,” April 2010
- William R. Scherer Jr., Directors and Officers Face Liability – Check Your D&O Insurance Now, Smart Business – Broward/Palm Beach, April 2005 at 14.
- William R. Scherer Jr., Vital Reforms – Why Everyone Needs to Pay Attention to Proposed Medicaid Reforms, Smart Business – Broward/Palm Beach, March 2005, at 24.
- William R. Scherer, Jr., Medicaid Reform – A Call to Action, South Florida Hospital News, March 2005.
- William R. Scherer Jr., Editorial, Recommended Reforms Must Pass in Session, South Fla. Sun Sentinel, June 16, 2003, at 21A.
- William R. Scherer Jr., Sovereign Immunity in Indiana- Requiem 6 Ind. L. Rev. 92 (1972).
