William A. “Bill” Baskin
Bill Baskin was born in 1956 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. As a young man, he met and married the love of his life, Becky. He attended Delta State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law. During college and law school, he worked at Kroger Grocery to support himself and years later, as managing partner of one of the biggest firms in North Mississippi, still fondly recalled those days.
After he graduated from law school, he accepted a job with the law firm of Holcomb Dunbar in their Clarksdale, Mississippi office. During that time, Bill tried many cases and gained a wealth of experience as an attorney. He also served as a City Judge in Clarksdale. Eventually, Bill was made a partner at Holcomb Dunbar. When Holcomb Dunbar decided to expand into Southaven, Mississippi, the managing partners of the firm asked Bill if he would be interested in moving to Southaven to open the office. Bill and Becky jumped at the opportunity to moveto Southaven, Mississippi.
Bill's practice in Southaven consisted of litigation, business, and real estate closings. He built a large network of clients and grew the Southaven office's practice from the ground up, soon establishing it as one of the most successful of the Holcomb Dunbar satellite offices. Under his management and supervision, the firm grew from two attorneys, he and Mac McCarroll, to seven attorneys and became a full-service law firm. He was by all accounts an outstanding attorney, always a gentleman, and someone who got good results for clients. Associates loved to work with him because he always had time to teach them about the practice of law, and because he had such a passion for his work. Ultimately, the attorneys in the Southaven office of Holcomb Dunbar split off from that firm and commenced operations under a new name, Baskin McCarroll McCaskill & Campbell. Again, Bill Baskin led the firm through that transition and into a new building, in which firm currently operates.
Bill and Becky adopted two children, a son, Austin, from Russia, and a girl, Katie. When he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, Bill fought the disease valiantly and with his trademark good humor and spirit. Sadly, Bill succumbed to cancer in July 2005. His wife and children are and always will be part of the Baskin McCarroll family. He is greatly missed for his sense of humor, his passion for practicing law, his leadership of the firm, and the gentlemanly manner in which he treated everyone with whom he came into contact. He is an inspiration and example to us all, and in that regard, remains with us in spirit and loving memory.
