Larry Walker founded the solo law firm that became Walker, Hulbert, Gray & Moore in 1965. He was born in Perry in 1942, and aside from his time at the University of Georgia, where he received both his undergraduate and law degrees, he has lived in Perry his entire life.
Founding WHGM Law Firm
June 1965 was a big month for Larry and his family: he graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, took his first job, and his wife gave birth to Larry Walker III. Larry rented the small building where he began practicing law for six months before he paid $1,000 and financed $4,000 to purchase it.
His first real case as a lawyer was a property file that resulted in a certificate of title. The client paid Larry $35 for his work. As a lawyer in a small Southern town, Larry saw some interesting cases:
- A former high school teacher wanted help getting his money back for a magazine subscription he never received
- One man wanted Larry’s opinion on what to do about a neighbor’s cat who kept walking on the man’s car
- One client asked Larry to sue Graybar Electric, manufacturer of Zenith products. Although Larry worked on the case, he didn’t sue and never billed for his services.
Larry was joined by his brother in 1975, and today WHGM is the largest law firm in Houston County, with eight attorneys and an experienced staff of paralegals, administrative assistants, and title abstractors. Today, Larry represents individuals, small businesses, corporations, and banking institutions in several areas such as real estate, commercial transactions, civil litigation, estate and probate, personal injury, and wrongful death.
Some of Larry’s Many Accomplishments
The same year he founded WHGM, Larry served as Perry Municipal Court Judge—he was only 23 years old. His additional accomplishments include:
- Representative in the Georgia General Assembly in from 1972 to 2005
- Administration Floor Leader for Governor Joe Frank Harris in 1983
- Majority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1986 to 2002
- Chairman of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation from 1999 to 2002
- Georgia Department of Transportation Board Member from 2007 to 2009
- At-large member of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents from 2009 to the present
Larry also writes a weekly column for The Telegraph, and a quarterly article for JAMES Magazine. His book, “Life on the Gnat Line,” is a compilation of his columns about family, the South, reading, politics, and more.
Larry is a regular speaker at community and state events, including Continuing Legal Education seminars. He lives in Perry with his wife Janice, and they have four children and 10 grandchildren.