Walter Andrew Clayton Jr
Icard Merrill
Mr. Clayton has been practicing law since 1987 and is admitted to practice in Florida, New Jersey and New York. He attended Washington & Lee University and received his undergraduate and law degrees from Seton Hall University. He founded The Clayton Law Firm, P.A. in 1996 after practicing with highly regarded law firms prior to that time. After 20 years of having his own law firm, Mr. Clayton became a shareholder in Icard Merrill in 2016.
Mr. Clayton has been “AV” rated by Martindale Hubbell since 1998 and has been designated as a Florida Super Lawyer from 2012 to 2018 , a distinction awarded to less than five percent of Florida lawyers, signifying the fact that his peers in the legal profession rated his work and ethics at the highest level. He has also been recognized as one of Florida’s “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend magazine in 2013 and 2014. For his entire career, Mr. Clayton has engaged in complex commercial litigation and investment related lawsuits and arbitration.
He has a unique background, having worked in the securities industry in New York and New Jersey for several years before he became an attorney. That has provided him with invaluable insights in investment-related matters. “Drew” has handled hundreds of securities disputes involving millions of dollars, ranging from customer disputes with brokerage firms to a federal court case in which he recovered almost $24 million in investment losses for Sarasota County arising from a major bank’s mismanagement of the county’s securities lending portfolio.
He also represents registered representatives of brokerage firms who have disputes with their former employers.
Mr. Clayton is well known in the community of lawyers who handle investment cases, was president of the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court from 2010 to 2011, and will be president of the Sarasota County Bar Association starting in September, 2019.
- Seton Hall University School of Law
- J.D. (1987)
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- Seton Hall University
- B.A. (1982) | American Studies and Journalism
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- Washington & Lee University
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- Shareholder
- Icard Merrill
- - Current
- Owner
- The Clayton Law Firm, P.A.
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- Partner
- Snyder, Groner, Schieb & Clayton
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- Associate Attorney
- Grady & Associates, LPA
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- Associate attorney
- Ravin Sarasohn Cook Baumgarten Fisch & Baime
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- Professionalism Award
- The Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court
- The Florida Bar # 0739464
- Member
- Current
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- The Sarasosota County Bar Association
- President
- - Current
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- The Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court
- Former President, Master Emeritus
- - Current
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- Public Investors Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- New Jersey State Bar # 002721987
- Member
- - Current
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- Florida
- The Florida Bar
- ID Number: 0739464
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- New Jersey
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- New York
- New York State Office of Court Administration
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- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business Arbitration, Consumer Arbitration, Family Arbitration
- Stockbroker & Investment Fraud
- Business Litigation