When Called to Serve, The Hon. Gadson William Perry Always Answers By NICOLE M. GRIDA
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f you are fortunate enough to know Chancellor Gadson William “Will” Perry personally, it should come as no surprise that he answered the call to serve as Shelby County’s newest chancellor because service is part of what makes him who he is.
When I first met Chancellor Perry, I was a young associate practicing here in Memphis and he was a law student at The University of Tennessee, College of Law. Not only do we share an alma mater, we both represented UTLaw on its National Moot Court Team, I remember being impressed by Will’s appellate advocacy skills after watching him complete in, and win, the Regional Competition hosted by The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. (He was also named Best Oral Advocate.) Upon learning he planned to return to Memphis after graduation, I looked forward to the impact he would have on the Bluff City, and specifically the impact he would make within our legal community. Since graduating from UTLaw in 2011, he has certainly made his name known in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. A quick glance at Chancellor Perry’s resume provides you with an overview of all that he has accomplished in his legal career. The short version is he started a decadelong career at Butler Snow LLP after graduating from UT Law. After two years there, Chancellor Perry left to clerk for Judge Bernice Bouie Donald on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, returning to the firm in 2014 and making partner in 2019. He was a member of Butler Snow's Commercial and Appellate Litigation practice groups where he gained extensive litigation, arbitration, trial, and appellate experience, 16
having handled cases, as first and second chair, in state and federal courts across the country. He also served as head of recruiting for Butler Snow's Memphis office. Chancellor Perry has been named "Best of the Bar," "Top 40 under 40," and a "Mid-South Rising Star" in business litigation. Never one to toot his own horn, he credits his parents, his students, and many mentors and friends who have provided him with guidance throughout his legal career. In addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, the Chancellor has also served a moot court and mock trial coach, helped coordinate the Summer Law Intern Program (“SLIP”) for the Memphis Bar Association, served as a mentor to countless law students and young lawyers over the years. He has also served on the board of directors and numerous committees for many local, state, and national bar associations. He is one of those people who you can always ask for help and who will always try to help you find a path forward. After candidly explaining he had not planned to apply for the vacancy created by the retirement of Chancellor Walter Evans after over two decades on the bench, Chancellor Perry stated he was prepared to do the work because he has been working to prepare himself to do the work. He explained that a number of mentors and friends
