(1915 - 1983)
The day Perry Nichols graduated law school in Texas, he realized that in order to make money practicing law he needed to go where the money was. He borrowed $50 from his mother and drove his 1931 Chevy to Miami to make his fortune. He had seven flat tires along the way and upon arriving in Miami, drove the wrong way down a one-way street wondering why Miami had so many crazy drivers.
In Florida Perry grew, prospered, became a political figure, and a powerful mover and shaker. He was one of the first attorneys to rely on demonstrative aids in trial and was the first to win a verdict in excess of $100,000 in the state of Florida. The case which got him admitted to the Inner Circle occurred in 1972 when he received a $1 million jury verdict on behalf of his client who suffered leg fractures as a passenger during a car crash.
From his not-so-little round office building in Coral Gables, Perry turned out so many outstanding lawyers and judges that it was referred to as "The Perry Nichols Great Trial Lawyer Factory." Two of those lawyers were Inner Circle legends J.B. Spence and Bill Colson. J.B., who credited much of his success to Perry, said in his memoir that, Perry was a giant - a combination of Billy Graham, Vince Lombardi, and George Patton. Perry took great pride in the success enjoyed by virtually all the lawyers that went through his "factory."
