Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that partner David M. Perry, partner and co-chair of the Intellectual Property & Technology group, was presented with the firm’s annual Edwin P. Rome Pro Bono Achievement Award in recognition of his work to secure the release of Tyree Wallace, who served 26 years in prison following a wrongful conviction.
In 1997, at just 19 years old, Mr. Wallace was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole, despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime and eyewitnesses who later recanted their testimonies. He maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.
David first met Mr. Wallace in 2019 through a referral from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project to assist with intellectual property issues related to MANN Up, a nonprofit Mr. Wallace co-founded while incarcerated. Inspired by Mr. Wallace’s commitment to helping others, David began investigating his conviction and ultimately partnered with civil rights attorney Keir Bradford-Grey to file a new post-conviction petition.
On June 10, 2024, Mr. Wallace’s life sentence was vacated in favor of an alternative plea deal, paving the way for his release from prison on November 4, 2024. David’s dedication to justice, along with support from associates Christopher Cody Wilcoxson and Scarlett L. Montenegro Ordoñez, exemplifies the power and impact of pro bono service.
Named in honor of one of Blank Rome’s founding partners, the Edwin P. Rome Pro Bono Achievement Award is the firm’s highest honor and was created in 2004 to recognize outstanding performance and a demonstrated commitment to pro bono legal service each year.
To learn more about Mr. Wallace’s story, please read the firm’s press release.