We mourn the passing of our Founding Member, Gary Becker, after a long illness. Gary was a pioneer in the area of legal advertising, as he firmly believed that lawyers were protected by the United States and Kentucky Constitutions for commercial free speech, just as any other profession. Gary often pointed out that all attorneys were allowed to advertise, and that even Abraham Lincoln was an advertising lawyer, until large, powerful corporate law firms changed the rules to prohibit the practice in trying to garner a monopoly on the business of law. It was that pioneering spirit that convinced Gary in 1985 to stop defending insurance companies and large corporations, which he successfully represented early in his career, to completely change direction and focus only on representing regular hard-working people in order to level the playing field against the rich and powerful.
Gary’s professionalism and integrity have been a model for all personal injury lawyers in the region since then. After retiring from the practice of law in 2004, Gary humbly devoted his time and boundless energy to his philanthropy and created his own charitable foundation that has helped hundreds, if not thousands, toward a better way of life.
Throughout his life, Gary always maintained his roots to his middle class, Southern Indiana upbringing, and shared his good fortune with those less fortunate, from driving homeless people in the dead of cold winter to warm shelter, or providing opportunity for them to acquire practical vocational skills by teaching them to run a kitchen and bakery for others that were also down on their luck. While Gary was outspoken about fairness and justice in representing his clients, he was equally understated in his spirituality and devotion to helping those less fortunate. We are saddened for our loss, but inspired to carry on his mission.
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