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Tonya Willis Pitts, Esq. represents consumers in all consumer rights matters, including credit reporting, debt collection, foreclosure, and credit billing matters. Ms. Pitts is also a title agent for the Attorneys' Title Fund and litigates title dispute issues involving real estate. She is admitted to the practice of law in the State of Florida and the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida. She is a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association.
P Ms. Pitts is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Law and Florida A& M University where she graduated magna cum laude. Ms. Pitts received her Bachelor of Arts from Florida A&M University in 1997 with a certification in Human Resource Management. She was selected as a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the Gold & White National Honor Society.
As a law student, Ms. Pitts interned in the General Counsel office of the Florida Power Corporation in St. Petersburg, Florida. While interning, she assisted corporate counsel by conducting extensive research and writing on various corporate issues and policies. She also interned with the Department of Juvenile Justice in Gainesville, Florida and received the distinguished honor of externing in the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Ms. Pitts was also the highest ranked student in the Gator Teamchild Juvenile Law Clinic at the University of Florida College of Law, receiving the Cousins & Associates Book Award in 1999 for outstanding representation of clients in juvenile law matters.
Ms. Pitts began her legal career with Gulfcoast Legal Services in Sarasota, Florida representing low-income families in consumer rights and housing litigation issues. She advocated for public housing families for habitable housing and protection of their housing rights.
Ms. Pitts also practiced workers' compensation insurance defense for McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, Pope & Weaver, P.A., one of the largest insurance defense firms in the State. She later continued practice in insurance defense and employment law with Brown, Clark, Christopher & DeMay, P.A. While at Brown, Clark, Ms. Pitts conducted extensive legal work in workers' compensation and successfully appealed the following cases: Allen vs. Term Personnel of Sarasota, Inc., et al., 902 So.2d 794 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005); Wren vs. DMS, Inc., et al., 906 So.2d 1065 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005) She was also an education lecturer for courses on employment and workers' compensation matters. In 2005, Ms. Pitts began the Law Firm of Tonya Willis Pitts, P.A. focusing her practice in the areas of consumer rights and real estate law. In 2008, she joined the Maglio Christopher & Toale Law Firm where she continues her consumer rights and real estate litigation practice. Ms. Pitts volunteers her time by teaching Life Skills classes to Sarasota public housing residents and is a community board member for Dollar Dynasty, Inc., a humanitarian aid and community outreach program. She is also a former member of the Junior League of Sarasota. Ms. Pitts was born in Clearwater, Florida. She is married with three children.