Anitra Raiford

Anitra F. Raiford has a civil litigation practice that includes litigating business, commercial, intellectual property and product liability disputes. She has worked on all stages of state and federal litigation, including strategy development, fact investigation, depositions, dispositive motion practice, advocating for clients at hearings and serving on trial teams.

Her cases involve matters such as contract, promissory estoppel and unjust enrichment disputes between companies; trade secrets and employment disputes between companies and former workers; misrepresentation disputes between companies and consumers; false advertisement disputes between competitor companies; and also personal injury and wrongful death disputes stemming from cigarette usage, pharmaceutical drug usage and trucking accidents.

Before joining Shook, Anitra served three years as a judicial law clerk to two federal district judges, The Hon. Stephan P. Mickle in the Northern District of Florida and The Hon. Sheri Polster Chappell in the Middle District of Florida.

In her tenure as a judicial law clerk, Anitra managed a high-volume of civil and criminal cases from filing to judgment, drafted hundreds of dispositive orders and assisted with numerous trials and hearings.

Her clerkship experiences have provided her with a valuable perspective on litigating matters, especially in federal court. Since her clerkships and while at Shook, Anitra has litigated contract, copyright, product liability, tort and unfair trade practice disputes in federal court.

Anitra is dedicated to improving her community and her profession. For example, she devotes a portion of her practice to working for the interests of children and families by representing juveniles in dependency cases and parents in guardianship cases.

Her pro bono service earned her Shook’s 2017 William G. Zimmerman Pro Bono Award. She is also active in organizations like the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, where she serves as a board member, and Meals on Wheels Tampa Bay, where she serves as a volunteer.

Education:

• J.D., University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, 2012
  • Dean’s List
  • Intellectual Property Certificate
  • Book Awards (Corporate Espionage; IP Litigation; Race, Crime, and the Law)
  • Research Assistant to Professor Elizabeth A. Rowe
  • Journal of Law & Public Policy, Executive Research Editor
  • National Black Law Students Association, National Director of Membership
  • Honor Committee, Director of Communications
  • Florida Blue Key
• B.S., University of Florida, 2009 (Psychology; Minor in History)
  • Dean’s List
  • ACCENT Speakers Bureau, Vice-Chair of Outreach
  • J. Wayne Reitz Union Board of Managers
  • Pre-Legal Honor Society, Historian
  • Black History Month Committee
  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Bar Admissions:

• Florida
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Memberships:

• The Florida Bar
  • Federal Court Practice Committee
    • Vice-Chair (2019-2020)
    • Guide to Judicial Practices Subcommittee, Former Co-Chair
  • YLD Law Students Division Mentor, Former
  • Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy, Class II
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers
• George Edgecomb Bar Association
• Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder (2019)
• Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
  • Board Member
  • Membership Chair
  • Younger Lawyers Division Co-Chair, Former

Community Involvement:

• Crossroads for Florida Kids, Volunteer Attorney ad Litem
• Meals on Wheels Tampa Bay, Volunteer

Clerkships:

• The Hon. Stephan P. Mickle, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• The Hon. Sheri Polster Chappell, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida