Husch Blackwell welcomes William Sherman Morris as the newest Partner in the firm’s Memphis, Tenn., office. Morris joins the firm’s Aviation group and brings more than 11 years’ experience handling business transactions.
For the past five years, Morris served as in-house counsel with FedEx Express (2007-2012), most recently as Senior Counsel in the Business Transactions Group. Morris served as the lead counsel for FedEx’s Air Operations, where he was responsible for all aspects of aircraft transactions – acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, maintenance, conversions, modifications and repairs. He managed and closed more than 100 aircraft purchase or removal transactions and represented or negotiated with airlines; aircraft manufacturers; engine manufacturers; maintenance, repair and overhaul providers (MROs); aircraft leasing companies, aircraft financiers and other financial institutions; buyer furnished equipment, avionics and other aircraft component manufacturers; governmental entities and regulatory authorities; aircraft insurers; aircraft part suppliers; and aircraft trading companies. In addition, Morris’ international experience extends to more than 20 countries.
Before FedEx, Morris practiced commercial transactions and commercial real estate law at Tennessee-based Bass, Berry & Sims (2004-2007). Prior to that, Morris was an Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, where he represented the U.S. Government in real estate, environmental and conservation matters (2003-2004). Morris began his legal career practicing corporate and commercial real estate law with Burr & Forman LLP in Birmingham, Ala. (2001-2002).
Morris received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill (2001), where he was on the Dean’s List and obtained the 1999 Grossman-Pollitt Oral Advocacy Award. Prior to law school, Morris worked as an Operations Manager for McEwen Lumber Company (1996-1998) and as a Media Assistant for the Fortune 500 company ServiceMaster Consumer Services (1994-1995). He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (1994).
Husch Blackwell's Aviation practice group provides transactional and regulatory counsel; prosecution and defense of aircraft accident and product cases; intellectual property identification, protection, management and enforcement; as well as risk management, aviation hull and liability insurance, war risk insurance and emergency planning and response. The team represents a wide range of aviation clients including commercial carriers, aircraft and component manufacturers, cargo operators, aviation lenders, public and private airports, air ambulance and rescue operators, aircraft owners, operators and pilots, charter operators, fixed base operators, aircraft management companies, maintenance facilities and military and government sectors.