At Princeton, he majored in English and then earned a law degree from Boston College, where he graduated with honors in 1979 and was editor of the law review. He later earned an LL.M in taxation from Boston University.

Perry  was a well-respected and popular bond lawyer whose practice had a particular focus on representing underserved communities, including Native American communities, low-income housing loans, and mortgage credit certificates. He was the principal lawyer on hundreds of bond issues totaling tens of billions of dollars over his 30-year career. His many admirers in the bond community remember him as a man of high integrity and expertise.

Since 2007, he had his own practice in Sacramento, Calif. Previously he had been a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, joining in 1984. He began his career with Palmer and Dodge in Boston. Perry authored several books on public finance and was active in the National Association of Bond Lawyers.

Perry is survived by his wife, Anne Israel-Connolly; two daughters, Georgia Israel and Caroline Dyer; and five grandchildren.