Jon L. Mills

Jon Mills has appeared in courts throughout the United States, with a focus on matters involving constitutional law, privacy, and cybersecurity. His experience also includes significant appellate work, regularly appearing before the Florida Supreme Court.

Jon’s notable appellate wins involve constitutional amendments to restore former felon voting rights, raise the Florida minimum wage, and earmark $10 billion for the purchase of sensitive lands. He has also successfully argued cases about the media’s liability in defamation cases, limits on contingency fee agreements between injured claimants and attorneys in medical liability cases, and gaming on Indian land.

Jon represented the family of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in their attempts to block the release of autopsy photos of Mr. Earnhardt, who died on the last lap of the Daytona 500, as well as the family of Billy Tyne concerning his depiction in the movie “A Perfect Storm.” 

Jon has also successfully litigated many other high-profile privacy matters on behalf of families of public figures, such as Gianni Versace, Dawn Bracheau, the trainer who died in an accident at SeaWorld, and six young college students murdered by serial killer Danny Rolling at the University of Florida. 

In addition to his courtroom experience, Jon formerly served for 10 years as a member of the Florida Legislature, holding the position of speaker of the house. He also served on Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission, a once every 20-year position, and chaired the drafting committee. Jon has been a tenured professor for more than 20 years, teaching in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, and constitutional law. He was also dean of the University of Florida College of Law from 1999 to 2003.

Jon is a recognized thought leader on constitutional law, privacy, and cybersecurity, having authored multiple books and articles including “Florida Constitutional Law: Cases in Context” (Carolina Academic Press), “Privacy in the New Media Age,” and “Privacy the Lost Right” (Oxford University Press). He has taught privacy law to judges and lawyers worldwide, lectured in Latin America as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Speakers Program, and presented continuing legal education courses on privacy and security to corporate leadership and general counsel. 

Jon has experience in representing a broad range of clients and interests, with his main focus on appeals, constitutional law issues, privacy issues, and cybersecurity. His clients have included: The Academy of Trial Lawyers; Gannett Newspapers, the First Amendment Foundation; Dale Earnhardt Inc.; and the Florida House of Representatives. He has been counsel to Fortune 100 and 500 companies on data breach responses and cybersecurity.

His courtroom experience is augmented by 10 years as a member of the Florida Legislature, including holding the position of speaker of the house. He also served on Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission-a once every 20 year position. Jon chaired the drafting committee and was chosen the commission’s most valuable member. He also has been a tenured professor for more than 20 years, teaching in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, and constitutional law. He was dean of the University of Florida College of Law from 1999 to 2003.

Jon brings a diverse background and experience to address the most complex legal problems. His history of courtroom experience, legislative expertise and academic perspective provides a unique insight in high profile crisis situations.

Privacy: The Lost Right (Oxford Univ. Press 2008)

Voting Rights and Democracy: The Law and Politics of Districting, co-author with Richard Scher and John Hotaling (Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall Publisher, 1996)

Conflitos Jurídicos, Econômicos E Ambientais, (Economic & Environmental) Conflicts: A Case Study with Parana (Brazil) and Florida (USA), co-editor with Paulo Roberto Pereira de Souza (Editora da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil, 1995).

Selected Articles: 

Co-author, Is Cyber Insurance a Modern-Day Imperative?, The New York Law Journal (October 2022)

Co-author, The Pandemic and Privacy: The Global Culture of Intrusion, Legislation and Policy Brief: Vol. 11: Iss. 1, Article 5

FTC Consent Decrees Are Best Guide to Cybersecurity Policies, Daily Business Review (September 22, 2015)

The Rewards of Citizenship & Perils of Identity: How the Law Defines You in the Globalized World, III:2 Warsaw U. L. Rev. 95-127, Special Edition (June 2004)

Responding to Terrorism and Achieving Stabilities in the Global Financial System: Rational Policy or Crisis Reaction?, 11:4 J. of Financial Crime 380-396, Henry Stewart Publications, UK (May 2004)

Principles for Constitutions and Institutions in Promoting the Rule of Law@, 16:1 U. Fla. J. of Int'l L., 115-131 (2003)

Federalism in the 2000 Presidential Election: Florida on Trial, 13:1 Stanford L. & Policy R. 83-99 (2002)

Internet Casinos: A Sure Bet for Money Laundering, 19 The Dickinson J. of Int'l L., 77-116 (2000)

Resolving Property Claims in Post Socialist Cuba, 27 Georgetown J. of L. and Policy in Int'l Business 1:137-191 (1995)

Budget Reform and Impoundment Control, Co-author. 27 Vand. L. Rev. 615 (1974)