Attorney and Staff Contact Information
David Fugett, General Counsel
David Fugett joins the University of West Florida with more than 25 years of legal experience. Fugett most recently served as the executive vice president for Human Resources and Legal Affairs at Polk State College. Prior to that, he served three years as vice president and general counsel at Florida Polytechnic University and four years as general counsel and pre-law advisor at New College of Florida. At New College, Fugett initiated the New College pre-law program and coached the inaugural moot court and mock trial inter-collegiate teams.
Prior to working in the state university system of Florida, Fugett gained valuable experience in state government as assistant attorney general and then chief litigation attorney and general counsel at the Florida Department of State. While at the Department of State, Fugett served as the chief ethics officer and provided advice and counsel to the Secretary of State and departmental managers on a broad range of administrative, legislative, and policy matters. This included oversight and representation on all departmental litigation.
At the Office of the Florida Attorney General, Fugett served as assistant attorney general in the Complex Civil Enforcement Bureau. In this role, he worked with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state Attorney General offices around the nation prosecuting civil fraud cases throughout the United States, often as lead counsel for the state of Florida.
In private practice, along with being retained by many of the largest insurance companies in the nation to represent their insureds, Fugett directly represented large corporations in litigation throughout the state, including The Coca-Cola Company, Mercedes Benz USA, Cessna Aircraft Company and GEICO.
Throughout his career, Fugett has led various presentations, lectures and classes on subjects like ethics, advocacy, artificial intelligence, and election security. In 2024, Fugett was selected by the Florida News Service as an inaugural Impact Award winner, given to “exceptional leaders from across various sectors who are making a real difference in their communities.”
Fugett received his bachelor’s degree in communication from Toccoa Falls College and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.
Carolyn Eaton, Associate General Counsel
Carolyn Eaton specializes in governance and provides legal counsel on a broad range of issues, including education law, university policies and procedures, and compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
She joined the University of West Florida in 2018, bringing with her valuable experience from her previous roles with the Florida Department of Health and a local real estate development firm as in-house counsel.
A lifelong resident of Florida, Carolyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Legal Administration from the University of West Florida and her Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law.
Megan Simms, Associate General Counsel
Megan Simms joined the Office of the General Counsel in 2019, and holds the position of Associate General Counsel for the University. Megan provides comprehensive legal advice to academic and business units across the University on issues ranging from student matters, contracts, and labor and employment. Megan also serves on University committees including the Campus Care Team, Clery Compliance Team, and International Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining the University, she worked in private practice in the areas of family law and insurance defense.
Megan received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida and her J.D from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where she served on the Moot Court team and the Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Law. She is admitted to practice in Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky.
Julie Jones, Assistant General Counsel
Julie advises the University and its affiliated entities in the areas of contracts, public liability litigation, real estate, and risk management. Additionally, she advises on a wide range of legal and regulatory matters and operational matters, such as facilities and construction projects, policies and procedures, and does training on legal issues and policies relating to compliance with state and federal laws.
Prior to joining the General Counsel’s office at UWF, Julie worked in the energy/utility industry for over 25 years, first in Labor Relations/EEO, then as the Risk Management and Claims Manager at Gulf Power Company for over 20 years, and finally at Florida Power and Light. She provided services in a broad range of legal matters including: public liability litigations, contracts, real estate, corporate security, policies and procedures, subpoenas, training, and regulatory compliance. Before working in the utility sector, Julie worked in private practice, as an Assistant Public Defender for the Office of the Public Defender, First Judicial Circuit, and as District General Counsel for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Julie earned her Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served on the Moot Court Society as a Special Teams member. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting, magna cum laude, from the Honors College of the University of Southern Mississippi.
Julie is a member of the Florida Bar, the Alabama bar and admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. A lifelong native and resident of Northwest Florida, Julie is an eighth-generation member of her family to live and serve in this area and is member of various community organizations and has served on several boards.
Cody Titus, Paralegal
As the Paralegal and Office Administrator for the Office of General Counsel, Cody is a key contributor to the legal operations and administrative success of the Office of General Counsel, supporting the University of West Florida Community. He recently transitioned from University’s Office of Procurement & Contracts as the Contracts Manager where he assessed University contracts for risks and routed them for reviews to various departments to mitigate inherent risks. His role now as the Paralegal includes Legal Support and Research; maintaining and organizing the legal department’s case files, records, and litigation-related documents, ensuring compliance and accessibility; managing the day-to-day operations including budget support, scheduling, external correspondence, and serving as the primary point of contact for both internal and external inquiries; and assisting with the development, review, and dissemination of University policies and procedures
Cody earned his Juris Doctor from Charleston School of Law, following his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Alabama. While in law school, he demonstrated strong leadership by serving as the 3L Treasurer for the Student Bar Association and was actively involved in organizations including the Business Law Association and the Entertainment, Art & Sports Law Society. Dedicated to public service, Cody also provided significant pro bono hours to The Charleston Housing Court Pilot Project, offering critical legal assistance to low-income individuals facing eviction. He has been a long-time resident of Pensacola, Florida, since relocating with his family in 2002. Cody plans to sit for the Florida Bar in February 2026.
Email our office: gcfrontdesk@uwf.edu