Alissa McKee Ellison appointed to Hillsborough bench

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Alissa McKee Ellison to the Hillsborough County Court on Friday.

Ellison, a shareholder at GrayRobinson law firm, will replace former Hillsborough Judge Michael S. Williams, who was selected by Scott last year to serve on the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court.

Ellison, 37, of Tampa, received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and her law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2005 and was among the top 10 in her class. Prior to joining GrayRobinson upon graduation, she worked in the legal department of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. She also clerked for former Circuit Judge Barbara Fleischer and Judge Debra Behnke.

In 2016, Ellison was named an Up and Comer by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in the under 40 category. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Tampa-based Glazer Children’s Museum.

At GrayRobinson, Ellison specializes in representing financial institutions with respect to contractual defenses and Uniform Commercial Code defenses, emphasizing class action defenses and appellate work. She’s successfully helped appeal over 20 client cases.