It’s hard to put a value on 40 years of loyal service, but we tried this month, as we celebrated Erick Anderson, our valued colleague and friend.
Anderson started as a part-time temp at the firm in 1982, and soon became indispensable for all kinds of reasons, from knowing the quirks and challenges of our historic downtown Tennessee Club building to knowing the quirks and challenges of the many attorneys who work here. He can make a courthouse filing deadline with moments to spare, has taken historic photos of many attorneys and judges over the years and still notices when a light bulb needs changing in the BPJ lobby.
Here are a few of the quotes in the story the Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts wrote this week about Erick, fittingly titled, “Halls of justice are more gracious because Erick Anderson walks them”:
“He’s the institutional memory in lots of matters. He can tell you about lawyers that were here. I mean, the foundational lawyers that were here. He knew them all.” — Molly Glover, Senior Attorney
“We’ll pre-do things for him that we normally don’t do for anyone else because if Erick says he’s coming, he’s coming.” — Barbara Reynolds, Chancery Court
“He has been able to metamorphosize, or transform, his role to continue to meet the needs as the practice of law changes.” — Nathan Bicks, Managing Partner
“If there was a popularity vote in the firm, Erick would win, hands down. Over the years, he has done so very much for all of us, both professionally and personally, and always cheerfully and with a smile.” – Jef Feibelman, Partner
“Erick knows who he is. He knows that what he does has value to each and every person there. And he knows that even as he respects the people with whom he works — and respects himself — he has earned that mutual respect.” — Bernice Donald, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judge
“People have a tendency to gravitate toward humility. It’s such a feel-good kind of thing. That’s the way Erick makes you feel.” – Gina Higgins, Circuit Court judge
Thank you, Erick, for everything you do for all of us.
