{{Short description|American lawyer (born 1947)}} {{Lead too short|date=October 2023}} <!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|Gary in 2019 --> {{Infobox person |name=Willie E. Gary |birth_name=Willie Edward Gary |birth_date={{birth date and age|1947|7|12}} |birth_place=Eastman, Georgia, U.S. |education=Shaw University<br>North Carolina Central University School of Law (JD) |occupation=Lawyer |spouse=Gloria Gary |children=6 |parents=Turner Gary<br>Mary Gary }} '''Willie E. Gary''' (born July 12, 1947) is an American trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who won multi-million-dollar verdicts against some of the largest corporations in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Willie Gary|url=https://williegary.com/willie-gary|access-date=2021-04-14|website=williegary.com}}</ref> Gary and his wife Gloria established Martin County's first Black law firm at the age of 27,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Willie Gary {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/willie-gary |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> presently known as, Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson, Gary & Gillespie, P.L.L.C.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Willie Gary - Willie Gary |url=https://williegary.com/willie-gary |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=williegary.com}}</ref> Gary’s career includes landmark cases such as the 1995 Loewen Group funeral-home lawsuit, which resulted in a US $500 million jury verdict,<ref name=":0" /> and a 2000 case against The Walt Disney Company that led to a US $240 million award for misappropriation of a sports-complex concept.<ref name=":1" /> Gary was portrayed by actor Jamie Foxx in the 2023 film ''The Burial''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-26 |title=Jamie Foxx portrays Shaw University graduate Willie E. Gary in the highly anticipated film, The Burial. - University News |url=https://news.shawu.edu/announcements/jamie-foxx-will-portray-a-story-of-shaw-university-graduate-willie-e-gary-in-the-highly-anticipated-film-the-burial/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=news.shawu.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Born Willie Edward Gary on July 12, 1947, in Eastman, GA, he is one of eleven children of Turner, a sharecropper, and Mary Gary.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Willie Gary {{!}} Encyclopedia.com|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/willie-gary|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> With his father's backing, Gary attended school two half-days a week, farming with his family the other three days. At 13, Gary supported his family by establishing a lawn service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Willie Gary {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/willie-gary |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Gary was the first in his family to graduate from college.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Willie Edward Gary |url=https://horatioalger.org/members/detail/willie-edward-gary/ |access-date=2026-04-24 |website=Horatio Alger |language=en-US}}</ref> He attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on a football scholarship graduating with a Bachelor's degree in business-administration in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=JIM SCHLOSSER Staff|title=MILLIONAIRE ALUM SHARES SUCCESS WITH SHAW|url=https://greensboro.com/millionaire-alum-shares-success-with-shaw/article_b4883008-5f12-550a-b867-45f50a0e0546.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=Greensboro News and Record|date=27 March 1992 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Nina |date=1996-01-27 |title=Brash Funeral Chain Meets Its Match in Old South |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/27/us/brash-funeral-chain-meets-its-match-in-old-south.html |access-date=2024-05-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1974 Gary earned his Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Famous HBCU Alumni|url=https://hbcuconnect.com/content/22515/willie-e-gary|access-date=2021-04-12}}</ref>
== Career == In 1995, Gary filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mississippi funeral home operator Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe against Canadian businessman Raymond Loewen after Loewen reneged on a contractual agreement with O'Keefe. Gary won the case, with a jury awarding O'Keefe $500 million in punitive damages; although the case was settled afterward for $175 million, Gary's victory would eventually lead Loewen to resign from his firm, which later would be reorganized after a bankruptcy filing and be sold to a competitor, Service Corporation International.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Harr|first=Jonathan|title=The Burial|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/11/01/the-burial|access-date=2021-04-14|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=How A Mississippi Funeral Home Showdown Freaked Out The White House|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrishamby/homegrown-disaster|access-date=2021-04-21|website=BuzzFeed News|date=September 2016 |language=en}}</ref> The Loewen funeral company case formed the basis of the 2023 movie ''The Burial'' starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-10|title=The Burial: Jamie Foxx to Star in and Produce Amazon Studios' Legal Drama|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1154498-burial-jamie-foxx-amazon-studios-legal-drama|access-date=2021-04-14|website=ComingSoon.net|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2000, Gary won a $240 million verdict against Disney for stealing the concept of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Jerry Jackson of The Sentinel|title=NOT EVEN DISNEY CAN TOP THIS LAWYER|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2000-08-13-0008130137-story.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=13 August 2000 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2019, a Florida jury awarded US $23 billion in punitive damages to the family of ''Michael Johnson'' in a case Gary tried against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was overturned on appeal. The case stemmed from the death of Michael Johnson of Escambia County, Florida in 1996, who died from lung cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Caplan|first=Andrew|title=Jury sides with tobacco company in $23.6 billion case|url=https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190625/jury-sides-with-tobacco-company-in-236-billion-case|access-date=2021-04-14|website=Gainesville Sun|language=en}}</ref>
== Memberships == Gary is a member of the American Bar Association, The Florida Bar, National Bar Association, and NAACP.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Willie Gary|url=http://www.garylawgroup.com/team-member/willie-gary/|access-date=2021-04-14|website=Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson & Gary, P.L.L.C.|language=en-US}}</ref> Through these affiliations, he has supported initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and access to justice within the U.S. legal system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=::Attorney Willie E. Gary - WCP Communications Speakers Bureau :: |url=https://www.wcpcommunications.com/speakersbureau/mr_g.htm |access-date=2021-04-14 |website=www.wcpcommunications.com}}</ref>
== Awards and honors == In 2003, the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina recognized him as one of the United States’ most respected and accomplished lawyers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2003-2004 Bill 5050: Willie E. Gary - South Carolina Legislature Online|url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess115_2003-2004/bills/5050.htm|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>
In 2019, the American Bar Association awarded him the Spirit of Excellence award at a ceremony held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas honoring his career achievements and contributions to promoting diversity in the legal profession.<ref name=":2" />
He is also a recipient of the '''Horatio Alger Award''' for overcoming adversity and achieving success through perseverance and philanthropy.<ref name=":3" />
== Personal life ==
He is married to Gloria Gary and has six children, including: Kenneth, Sekou, Kobe, and Ali.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Kobie Gary imprisoned after plea in drug case {{!}} Video|url=http://www.tcpalm.com/news/kobie-gary-imprisoned-after-plea-in-drug-case--video-ep-395516335-346881202.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.tcpalm.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=1999 Horatio Alger Award Recipient|url=https://horatioalger.org/members/member-detail/willie-edward-gary}}</ref>
He and his family have been involved in numerous philanthropic and community initiatives across Florida and the southeastern United States.<ref name=":3" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.floridabar.org/directories/find-mbr/profile/?num=187843 Florida Bar profile]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gary, Willie E.}} Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Category:20th-century African-American lawyers Category:21st-century African-American lawyers