(MEMPHIS, TN – June 23, 2023) The Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, has recently hired two new employees: Gordon Pera and Katie Hagan.
Pera will serve as a staff attorney in the new Memphis office. A native Memphian, Pera previously practiced in the Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender, representing indigent clients in General Sessions and Mental Health Court.
“Memphis holds a special place in my heart,” Pera said. “As a multi-generational Memphian, I believe in the power of justice and the transformative impact it can have on our community. The opening of the TIP office in Memphis is not just a milestone; it’s a beacon of hope.”
Hagan will serve as a senior legal counsel. A Nashville native, Hagan spent 20 years practicing in the area of criminal law and has previously worked with the Office of the District Attorney for Davidson County, Tennessee. From 2011 until 2022 she was a partner in the law firm of Hagan & Todd.
“I have known for several years that TIP is making a real impact in the criminal justice system,” Hagan said. “I am honored and grateful to be a part of this organization that does so much good work.”
In addition to new team members, TIP will open a Memphis office at 2029 Peabody Avenue in the Midtown area. TIP will host a grand opening for its new location in Mid-September.
“After months of hard work and planning, we can finally say that we are ready to take on the challenges of the Mid-South region,” said Tennessee Innocence Project Executive Director and Lead Counsel Jessica Van Dyke. “We are thrilled to bring our mission to this incredible city and fight for justice and exoneration alongside the Memphis community. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our amazing sponsors, donors and allies.”
About the Tennessee Innocence Project:
Launched in February 2019 as the first full-time innocence organization in the state, the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) is a non-profit law firm working to free wrongfully convicted Tennesseans. To date, more than 3,200 people have lost more than 25,000 years due to wrongful convictions across the United States. TIP has three primary focus areas: 1) investigating and litigating wrongful conviction cases for those in Tennessee prisons to obtain exonerations, 2) training law students and attorneys about how to litigate these cases and how to prevent future wrongful convictions, and 3) bringing about changes that lead to the discovery of wrongful convictions and remedies to the wrongfully convicted. To learn more, visit www.tninnocence.org.
For more information or if you would like to interview someone from the Tennessee Innocence Project, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.