Overview
Ingrid Benson-Villegas has long answered the call to advocacy, joining Walton Lantaff as an Associate in 2018 and swiftly rising to the rank of Partner soon thereafter. Her academic path rooted at Florida International University, Ms. Benson-Villegas earned first, a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (magna cum laude, 2009), followed by her Juris Doctor in 2013. Throughout her tenure as a student, Ms. Benson-Villegas remained an active and passionate member of her community. As an undergraduate, she served as a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and earned a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. During law school, she served as Vice President of FIU’s chapter of the Dade County Bar Association and worked closely with the Women’s Law Society. After graduating, Ms. Benson-Villegas built a rich and varied legal foundation through roles at the Third District Court of Appeal and in county courts, as well as under esteemed practitioners across Florida. These early chapters refined her procedural knowledge, sharpened her advocacy skills and instilled a balanced approach to the law, marked by discipline and empathy. Today, she sustains her passion for legal evolution through her involvement in the American Constitution Society, where she engages with constitutional law issues through a dynamic lens. Ms. Benson-Villegas focuses her practice primarily on first-party property claims and handles cases from their inception through trial. A lover of language, she is fluent in both Spanish and English, with conversational proficiency in French and Greek – a nod to her intellectual curiosity and global mindset.
Ms. Benson-Villegas’s work is both heart-driven and intellectual, aimed at her personal mission to uplift underserved members of our society. Her legal excellence extends far past academia, evidenced by her growing list of professional honors – including a five-year streak recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, an accolade awarded to just 2.5% of early-career attorneys who demonstrate exceptional skill and peer esteem. Ms. Benson-Villegas’s professional legacy further includes impactful family advocacy and policy reform, notably as the initiator and consistent key player in the successful petitioning for the 2018 amendment to Florida’s Parental Leave Rule. Outside her outstanding professional life, Ms. Benson-Villegas is a devoted wife and nurturing mother to her son, Giannis, bringing the same grace and tenacity to family life as she does to legal practice. She finds joy in yoga and extensive travel, her journeys mirroring her personality: open-hearted, spirited and thoughtful.
As your attorney, Ms. Benson-Villegas offers unparalleled precision, relentless focus and measured brilliance. Her core values – hard work, honor, justice and progress – are infused into every endeavor, positioning her to fiercely champion any client, challenge or cause.
Practice Areas
- Insurance Defense
- Child Advocacy/Juvenile Dependency
- Domestic Violence
- Business Litigation
- Condominium Law
Admitted to Practice
- The Florida Bar, 2015
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2016
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 2016
Education
- Florida International University College of Law, J.D., 2013,
- Dean’s List
- Women’s Law Society
- Dade County Bar Association, Vice President of FIU Chapter
- Florida International University, B.A., International Relations, magna cum laude, 2009
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies Certificate
Professional or Trade Affiliations
- Officer, Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 2021 – 2023
- Board of Directors, Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 2017 – 2021
- Board of Directors, American Constitution Society – South Florida Chapter
- Associate Editor of The Young Lawyer, American Bar Association, 2016 – Present
- Member, Dade County Bar Association
Honors & Awards
- “Ones to Watch” in South Florida Best Lawyers, 2022 – Present
- Honorable Amy Karan President’s Award, Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 2021
- Class VI of Dade Legal Aid’s Leadership Academy, 2021
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars® by Thomson Reuters, Top Rated Insurance Coverage Attorney, 2020 – Present
- Leader in the Law Award, Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 2019
- 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2018
News & Insights
August 8, 2023