Interview with MBA President Peter Gee

Interview with

MBA President Peter Gee

Peter Gee is a native Memphian and the managing partner of Morgan and MorganMemphis where he has practiced since 2002. His practice is focused on civil litigation in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. In addition to his practice, Mr. Gee is the current President of the Memphis Bar Association. Mr. Gee co-chaired the Memphis Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program (“SLIP”) from 2013 to 2018, an ABA award winning program that places minority high school students in local law firms and businesses. In 2017 and in 2019, Mr. Gee was on the steering committee for the Unity in Diversity Scholarship Banquet, which has raised over $200,000 for scholarship money that helps promote diversity in the law.

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your tenure as MBA President?

After the challenges of 2020, I was not certain how the year would go and how we would overcome the difficulties presented. In particular, the balance of remote v in-person programming as we attempted to “return to normal” was a big area of concern. I am pleased to say that we have endured and carried through with almost all of the programs through hard work, cooperation and sheer will to get things accomplished. We are trending towards a break even year at the MBA, the membership numbers have had an uptick, and the feedback from the programs has been very positive. I have been very proud to lead the organization in such a unique year, and believe we have set things up for a solid 2022. One particular thing that I am proud of is that my firm contributed equally to both the MBA and the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the MBA. I hope that is something that will catch on with other organizations.

You are passionate about diversity in the law profession and providing opportunities to underrepresented groups in our community. What does it mean to you to be the first Asian American president of the MBA?

It is something that I am proud of, and I am proud to have been given the opportunity to lead the organization for this year. I think it is a milestone that I hope will be measured in a longer period of time. I am very excited for Tannera’s Gibson’s tenure and the milestone that will represent as well. I will say that I am very grateful to the people who helped me along the way that led to this place in time. When I was a younger lawyer, I often worried how I would be perceived in the community and whether someone who looked like me could be a successful trial attorney or a litigator in Memphis. I still believe that there is plenty of work to be done for future generations, and I’m proud to be a part of that progress.

What or who made you want to become an attorney?

I am asked this question fairly often and have been reluctant to talk much about it, because it is very personal. That said, I also think that it is important to share our experiences and the way they shape our lives. The reason I became an attorney is that my wife’s parents were killed in a robbery when we were in our 20s. Obviously that is the kind of event that changes the direction of your life in many ways, some obvious and others less so. In the months and years after their deaths, my wife and I had to interact with the legal system a great deal and the experience led me to pursue a career in law because I saw the ways that lawyers can impact their community. Going through that process as a non-lawyer, you could

not avoid a feeling of helplessness. It was a very deliberate decision to stay here and to help make a positive change.

Who was your mentor(s) when you began your legal

career?

I have been very fortunate to have Judge George Brown be my mentor. Judge Childress was the President of the Inn of Court and the newer lawyers were asked if they wanted to be assigned a mentor. I put my name in and Judge Brown was assigned to me. It has been one of the best things that has happened to me in my career and life. I have also drawn a lot of inspiration from Judge Higgins. We worked together on SLIP and I have learned quite a bit watching her interact with everyone. She has a way of talking to groups and connecting with each individual on a personal level. It really is something to see.

What advice do you have for young lawyers?

(join the MBA J of course!)

Join the MBA and be an active member. When you are an active member then it all starts to come together. Your network grows without you trying to actively grow it. It is not something that is wrought out or sought out. It just happens through getting to be around people and helping them. I do believe that the items that I would place on my legal highlight reel will mainly be work in our community outside of actual cases that I worked on.

At the end of a case what do you hope for most?

That I have been able to have a positive impact on the lives of my clients. People do not call my firm because they’ve had a good day. They generally call because they’ve had one of the worst days of their lives. They are hurt, scared and need someone to guide them through that uncertainty. I hope that when we conclude their case, whether by settlement or verdict, they feel that my involvement made that awful process more bearable.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned?

The most important lesson is that people are not static. People grow and do not stay in the same place or position. One day they are a young lawyer and your opposing counsel and the next they are in a higher level position. You should treat people like the people they will become.

If you weren’t an attorney, what job do you see yourself doing?

It is hard for me to imagine not being at Morgan and Morgan. I have been here a long time. If I was not an attorney I think I would try to find an organization that needed my help that offered me a purpose and opportunity for something with substance.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I like to read. I run, bike and swim. I really like running on our local running trails. I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter.

What do you hope to see the MBA accomplish in the next 5 years?

I am very excited for this next phase of leadership within the MBA. Our new Executive Director, Mary Ann Upchurch, is wonderful. She is bold and personable. I am very grateful to Maury Tower for her term as interim executive director. She really did work through a lot of difficult issues that has helped the MBA tremendously. I am very hopeful that what I am seeing is the beginning of a path that will lead to an endowment. I believe that is what is necessary for long term sustainability. I am also very hopeful that we can continue to work with the law school to keep people in membership throughout their entire careers. I think it is important to bring people into the legal community and to make sure they are supported. 