Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP and Stites & Harbison PLLC announced that on May 15, 2003, after a four and a half week jury trial in Fulton County Probate Court, they obtained a $14.8 million jury verdict on claims of breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing and
conversion against the former executor of the estate of an Atlanta
businessman.
Tom Richey of Powell, Goldstein tried the case on behalf of Self-
Realization Fellowship Church, the ultimate beneficiary of the Estate of
Richard C. (“Dick”) Perry, who was a long time member and benefactor of the
Church. J.D. Humphries of Stites & Harbison served as trial counsel for co-
plaintiff Faryl S. Moss, Administrator CTA of the Estate, who replaced the
former executor.
Mr. Perry’s will named his brother John F. (“Jack”) Perry as executor. As
the jury found in a special verdict, the Estate and the Church suffered large
losses from corporate stock redemptions and loans in which Jack Perry had a
conflict of interest. Mr. Richey commented that the Church was a reluctant
plaintiff, but it believed that it had an obligation to Dick Perry to see that
his will was carried out and that justice was done. In addition to the jury
verdict, Mr. Humphries succeeded in obtaining a directed verdict awarding the
Estate an additional approximately $500,000 in damages and property that the
Court found Jack Perry had improperly distributed to himself.
