Uncrowned Community Builders

Adam W. Perry is an equity partner with the largest law firm based in Western New York, Hodgson Russ LLP. With more than 230 attorneys, the firm is listed in the AmLaw 200. Established 1817, it is among the nationââ?¬â?¢s oldest law firms, and it is the only firm to have had two U.S. presidents as partners, Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland. Adam has been with Hodgson Russ his entire legal career, beginning when he clerked at the firm in 1992 and 1993 while completing his studies at the University at Michigan Law School.

Adam is 46, was born in Omaha, Nebraska and has been a resident of Buffalo since age 6. He attended public schools, then Erie Community College, graduating with an A.A.S. with highest honors. He graduated with a B.A. degree, magna cum laude from the University at Buffalo and earned his law degree from the University at Michigan Law School. He is single with no children. Law is his second career. Before becoming an attorney, he spent nine years in the Buffalo radio industry in a variety of positions, including on-air talent and broadcast engineer.

Adam is a member of Hodgson Russââ?¬â?¢ Business Litigation Practice Group. He is widely recognized for his work in employment law and litigation, with more published opinions in this area of law than any other Western New York lawyer. He has several other sub-specialties, including real estate contract, post transaction dispute and boundary dispute litigation. Adam represents some of the firmââ?¬â?¢s largest clients in these matters and has a particular focus on representing governments, police officers and not-for-profit corporations.

Adam is president of Mayor Brownââ?¬â?¢s Fund to Advance Buffalo and secretary to the Buffalo Police Foundation (501 (C) (3) organizations), is a member of the board of trustees of Erie Community College. He is the only graduate to have ever served in that capacity. In 2007, he was nominated by Governor Eliot Spitzer to serve as a commissioner on the board of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. The Authority manages public transportation and ports in Erie and Niagara Counties, with a budget of over $175 million and more than $1 billion in assets. He is a Life Member of the NAACP. Other community involvement includes: former general counsel to and member of the board of directors, Buffalo Urban League; general counsel, Grace Manor Health Care Facility, Inc.; general counsel, Community Action Organization of Erie County, Inc.; general counsel, Sheehan Memorial Hospital;

Adam is an avid bicyclist and motorcyclist. He competed for many years in local and regional bicycling events. He has been to the Tour de France six times to be a spectator and ride the stages, especially through the Alps and Pyrenees. He is a former president of Queen City Cyclists, a USA Cycling-licensed organization with three trade teams (Team Handlebars, Tam Fortistar and Team Preferred Care).

His father, Sandy, lives in Ludwigshafen am Rhine, Germany and his mother, Trudy, in Kittery, Maine. Adamââ?¬â?¢s mother served in the Peace Corps in Morocco and as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer in Zaire after retiring from her last teaching assignment as a professor of French at Morehouse College. A school for girls and young women, the Trudy Academy, was established in her name in Bunyore, Kenya.

Adam is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Erie Community College Foundation (1996); Business Firstââ?¬â?¢s 40 under Forty Award (2000); and ECC Presidentââ?¬â?¢s Outstanding Alumnus Award (2004).