Unlike many other law firms who have a myriad of specialties, the Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe law firm has only one — going to trial. The office, located in the Bedell building, was started in 1865 and is the oldest law firm in Florida. Daily Record staff writer Michele Newbern Gillis met recently with Managing Partner John DeVault III and partners Allan Brooke II, R.H. Farnell II, Thomas Beverly and Charles Pillans III to discuss the firm.
HISTORY OF THE FIRM?
The firm was started by Horatio Bisbee, who moved to Jacksonville during the Civil War. George C. Bedell joined the firm 20 years later. “The first firm name was Bisbee & Bedell and it has changed over the years as new partners came in,” said DeVault. In 1983, the firm bought the former Carnegie Library and renovated it. It was renamed the Bedell building in 1984. “We named it in honor of our former senior partner, Chester Bedell who was George’s son.”
WHAT DOES THE FIRM DO?
It specializes in trials and appeals of civil and criminal cases, both state and federal. “During our generation, we have always limited our practice to just trials and appeals.” said DeVault. “It is something that we have done by choice because we do not want to expand to be a full-service firm. We would have to grow and go into different areas. We want to be specialized and we like to do what we are good at.”
ONE OF A KIND
There’s just one office — on Adams Street — and there are no plans for expansion.
DO THEY PRACTICE OUTSIDE OF JACKSONVILLE?
Yes, they try cases all over Florida, but most of their clients are in Jacksonville. “We also have a certain number of clients that are from outside that have legal issues in North Florida,” said Brooke.
BIG CASES?
Hank Coxe, a partner at the firm, defended Jason Griffith, one of the three Florida State Prison guards in the recent Frank Valdes case in which all the guards were acquitted. They also received a $44 million verdict against Atlantic Insurance Company on behalf of four people who were injured in an explosion.
WHO ARE THEIR CLIENTS?
CSX, Nocatee, Florida Rock Industries, Winn-Dixie, Cedar Bay and other law firms. “We handle a lot of legal malpractice defense work,” said DeVault.
WHAT DO YOU OFFER YOUR CLIENTS?
“Speciality litigation,” said Beverly. “We try to use a team approach on most cases. We all have developed personal interests in sub-specialities of the law, so we tend to gravitate towards those. I think everybody here will do any case that comes into the office. Most of the cases are significant and relatively complex. We will typically have at least one partner and one associate sometimes two partners and an associate working on a case.”
WHO WORKS THERE?
Eight partners, six associates, five legal assistants and eight additional support staff. The partners are DeVault, Pillans, Coxe, C. Warren Tripp Jr., Beverly, Brooke, Farnell and O. David Barksdale.
UNIQUE?
“I think we are fairly unique in that we do not have any continuing clients for whom we handle all their work,” said DeVault. “We only handle case by case trials and appeals for clients and most of it is on referrals from other lawyers. We feel that other lawyers have a high regard for the trial work that we do based on the fact that the send us clients.”
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT?
“Our philosophy is that this firm serve the profession in a very active way,” said Pillans. “We believe that is what we ought to be doing because that is what we do best and it helps us promote business.” Evidence of that is Beverly, who is currently the president of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and DeVault, who was president of The Florida Bar in 1995.
WHAT ISSUES ARE FACING LAWYERS TODAY?
“Locally, the thing that is going to have the biggest impact will be the new Duval County Courthouse,” said Beverly. “A lot of lawyers had established their practice towards the old courthouse, so now you will see a shift towards LaVilla. Another thing that we have all seen in the last 10 years is the influx of state and national firms in the Jacksonville area. That is something relatively new to Jacksonville and it will probably change the way lawyers practice somewhat.”