William “Kent” Thames was born in 1965 in Santa Rosa County, Florida and raised in Pace, Florida. In 1987 he graduated from Florida State University, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. While attending Florida State University, Kent was a member of academic honor societies including Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Eta Sigma and Golden Key. Kent then attended the University of Florida College of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1990. While attending the law school Kent was a member of the Moot Court Board from 1988 – 1990, taught Legal Research and Writing as well as Appellate Advocacy, was Assistant Director of the Homecoming/Gator Growl in 1988, and worked as a law clerk at Marks, Gray P.A. in 1989.
After graduating law school, Kent joined Marks, Gray, P.A. in Jacksonville, Florida as an attorney from 1990 – 1995 where he practiced primarily in the areas of workers compensation, insurance defense and commercial litigation.
In 1995, Kent returned home to Northwest Florida where he co-founded Lozier, Thames & Frazier, P.A. and focused his practice on workers compensation, while also handling cases involving malpractice defense, employment law, personal injury law commercial litigation, construction litigation, social security law and veterans benefits. Kent is a Veteran’s Administration Accredited Attorney.
In 2013 Kent joined Vernis & Bowling of Northwest Florida, P.A. As the Worker’s Compensation Department’s Managing Attorney, Kent focuses his practice on Florida Workers’ Compensation cases, representing employers, insurance carriers, and third party administrators in all aspects of workers’ compensation including, but not limited to, issues of coverage, compensability, occupation disease, eligibility for benefits, indemnification, subrogation, Medicare Set-Aside Allocations, and appeals. His representation has extended to retaliatory discharge and other employment related issues. Kent has handled hundreds of workers compensation cases up to and including the final hearing.
Kent also handles cases involving insurance defense, personal injury, commercial litigation, and construction litigation. He also practices social security law and veterans law. Kent has tried many cases to jury verdict in state and federal courts, and has handled appeals in both state and federal courts.
Kent is a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar and the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association.