Will Ortiz

About Will Ortiz

Will Ortiz is a founding partner of Woodward Ortiz and a Georgia trial lawyer who takes on cases with life-changing stakes. His practice centers on medical and psychiatric malpractice, wrongful death, and claims against institutions that failed to protect children. He approaches each case with meticulous preparation and a focus on holding those responsible to account.

In recent years, Will has helped recover more than $155 million for clients through more than 20 seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. His work includes a $46 million total verdict against a national institution held liable for knowingly allowing child sexual abuse to occur, as well as an $11.1 million settlement in a birth injury malpractice case.

A native Spanish speaker, Will is frequently brought onto trial teams to try cases and work directly with Spanish-speaking clients. He helps them prepare for depositions and trial, giving them the attention and preparation that high-stakes testimony demands.

Before entering private practice, Will clerked for the Honorable Charles J. Bethel of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He has been named to the Super Lawyers Georgia Rising Stars list and selected for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association's LEAD class.

Will serves as President of the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association, co-chairs the State Bar of Georgia's Inclusion in the Profession Committee, and is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Executive Committee. His leadership reflects the same commitment to advocacy that he brings to his clients' cases.

Education

Academic Background

• Juris Doctor, University of Georgia School of Law, 2020
• Bachelor of Arts, Linguistics, University of Georgia, 2016

Results

Selected Outcomes

• $46 million total verdict after a week-long federal bench trial, holding a national institution liable for knowingly allowing child sexual abuse to occur
• $11.1 million settlement in a birth injury medical malpractice case
• $10 million sexual abuse verdict
• $9 million pre-suit settlement for the suicide of a child who was wrongfully discharged from a mental health facility
• $5 million pre-suit settlement for a patient’s overdose at a drug rehabilitation facility
• $5 million settlement for a catastrophic injury in a product liability case
• $2 million settlement for the wrongful death of a patient in a medical malpractice case
• $2 million settlement for a wrongful death caused by psychiatric malpractice
• $1.85 million settlement for a wrongful death caused by a medication dosage error
• $1.5 million settlement in a medical malpractice case involving an injury to a child
• $1.5 million settlement for a railroad worker injured on the job after jumping from a train
• $1.2 million settlement for a worker’s on-the-job injuries
• $1 million settlement for serious injuries in a commercial vehicle collision
• $1 million pre-suit settlement against a care facility whose failure to supervise a resident led to her suicide
• $750,000 settlement in a complex medical malpractice claim

Honors

Recognition

• Super Lawyers Georgia Rising Stars, 2022–2026
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association LEAD Class, 2023–2024
• Law Clerk to the Hon. Charles J. Bethel, Supreme Court of Georgia
• Graduate, Cultivating Hispanic Leadership Institute, 2022

Admissions & Memberships

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Georgia
• President, Georgia Hispanic Bar Association
• Hearing Officer, State Bar of Georgia Unauthorized Practice of Law Hearing Panel
• Co-Chair, State Bar of Georgia Inclusion in the Profession Committee
• Executive Committee Member, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• Committee Member, Supreme Court of Georgia Council on Court Interpreters
• Member, University of Georgia School of Law Young Alumni Council
• Executive Board Member, University of Georgia School of Law Hispanic Alumni Board
• Board Member, State Bar of Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition
• Faculty in Residence, State Bar of Georgia Law Academy
• Mentor, Georgia Latino Legal Foundation
• Barrister, Clarke-Carley Inn of Court
• Member, National Hispanic Bar Association
• Member, American Association for Justice