Trip Walton - A Good Fight

TRIP WALTON A GOOD FIGHT

SOUTHERN TATLER: 2018 MARCH/APRIL ISSUE: FACES FEATURE

FACES TRIP WA LT O N

THE

Good Fight TRIP WALTON HAS A REPUTATION AS A TOUGH LAWYER; THE FORMER BOXING CHAMP’S LAW CAREER HAS BUILT A REPUTATION FOR FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL FOR CLIENTS. BUT TRIP WALTON IS MUCH MORE THAN HIS SUCCESS. HONEST, OPEN, AND UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY, HE IS A DRIVING FORCE FOR GOOD IN LEE COUNTY AND A GREAT PERSON TO BOOT. “THE FIGHTER,” AS TRIP IS CALLED, SITS DOWN TO TELL US ABOUT HIS FAMILY, HIS LIFE, AND NEW CHALLENGES AHEAD.

name like Will O. Walton III may bring a particular image to mind; it would come as no surprise to learn that such an individual is a successful practitioner of law. But Will “Trip” Walton’s style doesn’t always give that away. Even amid his beautifully furnished office in his firm, Trip is clad in a casual buttoned shirt, jeans, and sandals. He sips his coffee gleefully and smiles, stopping occasionally to give a hearty belly laugh alongside the interviewer whenever he tells a good joke or recalls a funny story. Trip’s charisma is pervasive, and it is no wonder why his clients, friends, and employees are so loyal and committed to him. His casual, friendly, and down-to-earth manner are apparent and contagious; it is hard not to genuinely like Trip Walton, even before knowing everything he’s done and continues to do for his clients and Auburn-Opelika.

Business to Baller

Trip playing a little game of basketball with the local Boys and Girls Club

LIFE IS 10% WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU AND

90% HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT

Trip was born and raised in Lafayette, AL in Chambers County, just north of Lee County. His family has a long track record of practicing law, with his grandfather being a judge and his father an attorney. His mother was an elementary school principal.

Trip was a Boy Scout, ultimately achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He and his sister Marianne (also a law school graduate) attended and graduated from what is now called Lee-Scott Academy; at the time the school operated under the name of Lee Academy. Trip played football at Lee Academy and for a short while at Auburn University, which he attended as an undergraduate. Trip received a degree in Public Administration from Auburn University and would go on to attend law school at the University of Alabama. During his undergraduate education and during most of law school, Trip was a championship boxer, eventually winning the title of Alabama Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion in 1982. Trip’s career ended as he promised when he first lost a match, ending his career with a record of 20-1. He recorded 18 first-round knockouts, a rarity in professional boxing today. Trip jokes about his time in law school, “I won a couple of boxing championships, and then I got my law degree...when I finally decided to go to class,” he says with a wry smile. After finishing law school, he went to work in Montgomery as Deputy District Attorney, trying all kinds of cases, including capital murder cases, right out of the gate. Trip later moved to Auburn and began to work with Harper & Meadows, which would later become Harper & Walton when Trip became a partner with the firm. Harper & Meadows would then unite with Walker Hill Law Firm, where Trip would serve as a partner until the heads of the firm went off in separate directions. Trip then began his own firm in 2001, Walton Law Firm, P.C. Many employees would join Trip in his new venture, one that would become very successful for Trip, his employees, and most importantly the many clients for whom the firm has fought.

Trip met his wife Jacki in Montgomery, where he now lives. Amusingly, she lived in his neighborhood, and the two were married when Trip was 50, something he isn’t shy about mentioning. In Trip’s joking words, “Be careful about talking to your next-door neighbor, or she might end up marrying you, moving in, and now you’ve got a house full of kids,” he says with a bellowing laugh. Jokes aside, Trip loves his wife and the three children that accompanied the union. He adds that the youngest, Reilly, aged 12, keeps him and his wife busy enough for three kids now that the two oldest, Forrest and Coleman, are off at college. Trip says “We’re up at

the tennis court training before the sun comes up most days, or traveling to Columbus, Montgomery, Auburn, etc. for tennis matches. Competitive cheerleading has also started up, so I’m running around a lot with [Riley’s] activities.” Though he jokes about wanting his weekends back, he beams with pride at Riley’s athletic prowess and relentless drive to succeed.

Trip’s boxing career started with his time in the Kappa Alpha (Order) fraternity at Auburn. His story and rise to the title of champion were almost like something out of one of the “Rocky” movies. A friend in the fraternity introduced him to the sport, and before he knew it, he was traveling to Bibb City in Columbus to train. “We were driving up there to train in the gym four, five times a week. My parents thought I’d lost my mind. When I drove over there, I’d have another kid sit in my car so nobody would steal the tires or nothing...it was like living in a movie” Trip reminisces with another of his infectious laughs.

He tells more funny stories about the wrestlers at the gym, the ring, and even the first time he’d seen a real boxing “ring girl” (the young women that would walk across the ring with a large card to signify the start and number of each round.) Trip won many titles in his time as a boxer; these include the A-Club Heavyweight Boxing Championship on Auburn University’s campus in 1979, the AAU Heavyweight Championship in 1980, and culminating in being the Alabama Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion in 1982. Trip’s career was a tour de force, with most of his fights ending quickly, and he achieved 18 first-round knockouts. In boxing terms, few men could “go the distance” against Trip Walton and finish out a match. He chose to end his career upon incurring his first loss, as he had always promised he would. He recalls his only loss, in the Regional Golden Gloves competition. “They called him ‘Junebug.’ [The next year] I asked about him, and the guys said they never saw him again at the gym.” “Even though he ended my career, I guess they figured I scared him enough that he never came back” Trip adds with a raucous laugh.

In his time serving the Auburn-Opelika and greater Lee County area, Trip has also participated in a significant number of charitable causes and community services. In Montgomery, he serves on the school board for the St James school, which his children attend (or have attended). In Lee County, Trip and his law firm are members of both the Auburn and Opelika Chambers of Commerce. Trip served as a board member for the Lee County Boys and Girls Club, the Lee County Chairman of the YMCA Board of Directors, as well as

Laughing Lawyer

Trip causing a few laughs from a few of the Boys and Girls Club leaders

Work Hard, Play Hard

Trip enjoying his time volunteering at the local Lee County Boys and Girls Club.

the Director of the Lee County Youth Judicial Program, in which he plies his experience in law to serve the community. Trip was an adjunct professor at Southern Union State Community College.

Trip has many accomplishments to his name and has won many fights. However, he does have a new one on the horizon; earlier this year, Trip Walton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. High-profile diagnoses of Parkinson’s disease include celebrities such as Michael J. Fox and Neil Diamond, who have done much to raise awareness of the central nervous disease. Trip’s concerns began with a tremor in his right hand, one that he barely noticed. While sitting with him in the interview, it is hard to tell that Trip has a tremor without prior knowledge of his diagnosis. However, Trip is open about his diagnosis and remains optimistic about his future. “It doesn’t kill you,” Trip says, looking on the bright side, “but it will slow you down, and make almost everything harder depending on the symptoms and how it progresses.” Trip tells us about being diagnosed at UAB, “I walked out and was worried, but I slowed down and thought about it; there are millions of people walking [into the clinic], and they got a whole lot worse news than I got.” Trip’s sunny outlook is indicative of his upbringing, and his general attitude towards life. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it,” he says with a smile. “I could lie and bed and feel sorry for myself, or I could get up every day and do the right thing, and just keep on going.” Trip has said that he won’t stop working until he absolutely cannot continue doing so, and his attitude seems to reflect that.

For those that recall renowned boxer Muhammed Ali’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, don’t go making connections between Trip’s diagnosis and his boxing (or football) career. Trip’s doctor told him outright

that only 6-8% of boxers are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and Trip’s career was shorter and less bombastic than most boxers that can boast a similarly high win record. Trip initially believed the concussions he incurred while playing football could have also been the culprit, but his doctor also assuaged those concerns; while no one can be sure, it’s most likely that a high percentage of Parkinson’s diagnoses is attributed to environmental factors like herbicides and pesticides.

Trip Walton, The Fighter, seems well-poised to take on this new challenge. His law firm will continue, he’ll continue to work, and he’ll enjoy the support of his loving friends and family as this new challenger approaches. His brimming optimism and can-do outlook on life put him far above anything life can throw at him. He’ll continue to do what he’s always done: throw himself head-first against the competition and go for the knockout. And just as before, whether in the ring or the courtroom, everyone around him will be rooting for Trip Walton.

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