Our
History
Willie Gary, Senior Partner of Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson &
Sperando, P.L., was born in Eastman,
GA. His family soon relocated to Canal Point, Fla. and later settled in
Indiantown, Fla.
After graduating Murray Junior/Senior High School
in 1967, Gary, after much determination received a scholarship to Shaw
University in Raleigh, NC and received his Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration in 1971. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from North
Carolina School of Law in 1974.
Gary returned to Florida and was admitted to the
Florida Bar in 1974. As a sole practitioner he opened the first black law
firm in Martin County in 1975 in a storefront in Stuart.
In 1976 the law firm grew to include an associate
and two secretaries, and a second office was opened in Ft. Pierce.
Today, the firm is a sophisticated nationally
active practice with a staff of more
than 130 including attorneys, doctors, nurses, paralegals,
legal secretaries, an administrator, Certified Public Accountant, public
relations director, full-time investigators, general counsel and
director of HR and a Captain
and Co-pilot.
Gary, Williams,
Finney, Lewis, Watson & Sperando, P.L., is headquartered in the Waterside Professional
Plaza, a historic art-deco landmark on the St. Lucie River in Stuart. Gary
bought the building in 1988 and executed $3 million in renovations to the
property. The firm's Ft. Pierce offices are on the Intracoastal Waterway,
just south of the Fort Pierce inlet.
A History of Success
Within 12 months of opening his first office in
1975, Willie Gary tried and won his first personal injury case with a verdict
of $250,000. Soon after he traveled to Jacksonville, to fight and win his
first million dollar case. When a Martin County family experienced the
devastating tragedy of accidental electrocution stemming from a faulty
utility pole, the survivor turned to Gary, who received a record multi-million
dollar settlement from the giant power corporation.
Gary's talent and dedication has garnered him
dozens of awards and eleven honorary doctorate degrees. He has gained international
recognition as a leading trial advocate, public speaker and philanthropist.
His accomplishments have been featured in the New York Times, The
Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Ebony, Jet,
People, Black Enterprise, The National Law Journal
and other national media, which praise his "remarkable" rise
to the top of his field and his tireless work on behalf of injured persons.
Gary has been nominated to receive the prestigious
Horatio Alger Award. He was named Lawyer of the Year in 1996 by Lawyer
Weekly USA, and was a recipient of the Turner Broadcasting System Golden
Trumpet Award and the 26th Annual NAACP Image award "Key of Life."
Gary has been featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
and as the "Person of the Week" on ABC World News Tonight. He
has also been a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and the subject of the
CBS Evening News' "Eye on America."
Gary has set the tone
for the firm's success and principles. He leads by example with the strength
and vision to build an outstanding team with high standards, stability,
training and resources.
The firm is
frequently called upon by other firms to assist in difficult cases.
Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson & Sperando, P.L., is ideally suited to providing consultation and
co-counsel. The firm has tried cases in most of the United States.
Gary and the firm are dedicated to providing the
highest quality representation to people suffering the anguish of personal
and family injury.
