Edwin E. Wallis, III
Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle, Cox, PC
26 N. 2nd Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-527-2125
Fax: 901-521-0940
Firm Web Site: www.gwtclaw.com
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Committees
2021,2022,2023; Mentoring Vice Chair, Annual Meeting Committee 2017,2018; Mentor Committee Vice-Chair 2021-; Annual Meeting AV Chair 2021; State Chair 2020, Mentor Vice Chair 2022; Mentoring Chair 2023-2024
Practice Areas
Practice and Personal Background
As a shareholder in Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle & Cox, Ed Wallis focuses his practice on civil litigation and contractual drafting and review for his clients. Ed is passionate about his clients and the practice of law. Trained in his teenage, college and law school years by his father (who practiced law for nearly 50 years), Ed learned the importance of dedication to clients at all times – days, nights, weekends and holidays. As a law clerk for a federal judge, Ed honed his writing and analytical skills further. He joined GWTC in February 2006, and since joining has been molded into a trial lawyer that pursues creative and efficient handling of legal matters both large and small. Ed handles each case the same – whether a small matter or a complex, multi-state dispute – with dedication, tenacity and focus. Each of his cases has a plan from the outset – created by he and his team. He allows the plan to evolve over the duration of a case – using the Firm’s resources and talented attorneys to best represent a client. He is licensed in Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky (and has tried lawsuits in all three states). He has also appeared on behalf of clients in a number of states — California, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. He is honored to have developed a network of skilled lawyers across the nation over his career to assist him with matters. Ed’s practice is broad as he, like others in his firm, seek to represent clients passionately in the courtroom and elsewhere for a variety of practice areas. Over the past several years in particular, Ed has handled a number of cases involving construction defect claims, transportation law, apartment premises liability, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, real estate litigation and banking litigation, commercial litigation (including franchise and dealership disputes) and employment contractual litigation (noncompete and alleged disclosure of confidential, trade secret information). Ed is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest professional rating that can be achieved through peer ratings and reviews. He has also received the Award of Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation and Real Estate Litigation. In 2020, he was named the Attorney of the Year in Memphis for Real Estate Litigation. He is a proud member of the Themis Advocates Group, a national association of trial attorneys, and a member of the Executive Council of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA), an invitation only group of lawyers that is limited to one lawyer for every one million persons in a community. During his career, Ed has helped many clients including: Defending a leading road and bridge construction company in a suit for over one million dollars in lost profits in Arkansas Federal Court. Ed personally appeared and argued an appeal in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and prevailed in having this portion of the case dismissed for the benefit of his client. Defended a Southeastern United States traffic control company in a suit seeking over $17 million dollars in damages. Summary judgment was granted based on a Motion filed by Ed Wallis and his partner, and the case was dismissed against the traffic control supplier. Ed also secured testimony from the Plaintiff’s expert, which resulted in the District Court striking the expert’s testimony against Ed’s client. Defended a global supplier of concrete materials in a suit for more than $10 million dollars in Tennessee Federal Court involving defective construction, defective supply and defective design. Defending numerous general contractors for matters involving alleged defective construction of residential home new construction, residential home remodel, multi-family and commercial new construction. Defending numerous subcontractors in matters involving defective home construction and commercial construction. Represented owners in construction defect claims. Assisted in a pre-suit investigation and negotiation for a major regional commercial contractor, who was alleged to have failed to properly oversee a large renovation project thus resulting in a fire causing significant damage. The end result was no suit filed and no liability for the Client. Defended a national interior design firm in a suit involving travertine flooring installed in a cancer treatment center. Defended an electrical engineering supply firm alleged to have negligently installed overhead electrical lines associated with a light rail system in a host of personal injury lawsuits. Represented numerous businesses and employees in matters involving dealer agreements, franchise agreements, noncompete agreements, confidentiality agreements, separation agreements and more Helped a local community bank recover more than $400,000.00 on a deficiency action against a borrower that failed to timely pay notes owed to the bank. Represented a host of attorneys and law firms that have been sued for legal malpractice, achieving summary judgment or dismissal on the merits in a host of courts including federal courts in all three districts in Tennessee, Tennessee state court, and federal and state court in Arkansas. Some of these clients were sued for hundreds of millions of dollars. Ed has also represented attorneys sued for legal malpractice in Mississippi. While the types of cases involving claims for legal malpractice have been varied, Ed routinely helps real estate attorneys that have been sued for legal malpractice. Defended title companies, title insurers, banks, realtors, real estate companies, housing eviction/servicing companies and more in real estate litigation involving a number of areas. Ed regularly attends continuing legal education events and real estate seminars on the real estate, real estate closing and title insurance industries. Prosecuted claims on behalf of a number of recipients of a class III implantable medical device, including serving as second chair counsel at a trial in Louisville, Kentucky that achieved a trial verdict of $7.25 million dollars (Sadler v. Advanced Bionics). Ed represented clients around the world that received the Advanced Bionics Clarion CII and HiRes90k cochlear implant devices, including from coast to coast in the United States as well as in Canada, Spain and Colombia. Ed assisted in taking depositions of then current and former employees and expert witnesses across the United States, and regularly met with his clients in their homes from California to Massachusetts to Miami, Florida. Ed has also represented other 510k and Class III medical device recipients and those ingesting prescription drugs, including SSDI birth defects (including Wellbutrin birth defects, Effexor birth defects and more), Mirena perforation, TVM/TVT transvaginal mesh, Essure birth control, IVG filters, testosterone replacement therapy, Xarelto bleeding injuries, and more. Assisted in a variety of business litigation cases, including for allegedly defective conditions, monies owed, wrongful conduct, breach of commission agreements, breach of duty of loyalty and good faith dealing, and more. Defended a major telecommunications company and multi-state traffic control company sued for alleged violation of the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Defended temporary traffic control companies pertaining to their handling of temporary traffic control on construction and other traffic flow scenarios. Assisted his clients in a variety of medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases. Prosecuted claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of warranty and violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act against a business specializing in modified Cessna SkyMaster airplanes. Ed served as second chair counsel at trial, where the client obtained a $1 million verdict. Represented a number of businesses sued for defective premises liability and safety, receiving summary dismissal on a number of occasions in Tennessee State Court and Tennessee Federal Court. Helped victims of sexual abuse in the Shelby County School System, the Memphis School System and the Tipton County School System. Prosecuted breach of contract cases on behalf of businesses in a variety of settings in both state and federal court. Assisted high level employees and franchisees with contractual interpretation, review and litigation dispute resolution. Assisted with the high profile defense of successful businessmen sued for invasion of privacy, tortious interference with a contract, fraud, misrepresentation and sexual harassment. Defended a global manufacturer sued for products liability and wrongful death, achieving summary judgment in Tennessee Federal Court.
Meetings Attended
Firm Description
Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle, Cox, PC