Adams and Reese attorney and Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris has been named a recipient of the 2016 Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Memphis East. The annual award honors one elected and one non-elected public official who both exemplify late Shelby County, Tennessee Probate Court Clerk Bobby Dunavant’s deep commitment to public service.
The Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Award is presented by the Rotary Club of Memphis East and members of the Dunavant family. Recipients are selected based on how well they display Dunavant’s spirit for public service and his commitment to leadership, mentoring and honesty in serving the community.
Norris will receive the award May 11, 2016 at a Rotary Memphis East luncheon at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn. He will be honored alongside recipient Lisa Geater, chief of staff to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. The ceremony will feature past Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Award winners and a keynote address by Spence Wilson, chairman of the board of Memphis-based Kemmons Wilson Companies.
Norris has served in the Tennessee Senate since 2000 and as Senate Majority Leader since 2007. He represents District 32 – “the West Coast of Tennessee” – including Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton and Shelby Counties. Norris is Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, 1st Vice-Chair of the Senate Calendar Committee, 2nd Vice-Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, and a member of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means, State and Local Government, and Joint Pensions and Insurance Committees.
At Adams and Reese, Norris practices as Special Counsel on the Litigation Practice Team in the firm’s Memphis and Nashville offices. He has a diverse civil litigation and business practice, with caseloads regularly including products liability, petroleum marketing and franchise litigation, defense of professional liability claims, and condemnation/eminent domain cases. Norris advises clients in crisis management and preventative measures to minimize risk and avoid the expense of litigation. He also appears before administrative, regulatory and municipal boards on behalf of a variety of clients in land use, permitting and zoning matters related to economic development.
Read more about Norris and the award in media coverage from the Memphis Daily News:
- Norris, Geater Named Dunavant Award Recipients
- Norris Recounts Path to Majority Status, Dunavant Award
- Wilson Urges Family Philanthropy at Dunavant Awards
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