Columbus' oldest law firm breaking up; Hatcher Stubbs lawyers announce move to other firms
Hatcher Stubbs lawyers announce move to other firms
By MARK RICE
mrice@ledger-enquirer.com
The oldest law firm in Columbus is breaking up after 143 years.
The lawyers of Hatcher, Stubbs, Land, Hollis & Rothschild LLP are joining other law firms, effective Jan. 1.
Hatcher Stubbs said in a news release Tuesday that the firm "has been engaged for some time in a strategic planning process to discern the best way for the firm and its attorneys to expand their resources and their footprint to better serve valued clients and continue to provide top quality services in a broader market."
"Today," the release continued, "as a culmination of this extended period of thoughtful analysis and planning by the entire partnership, Hatcher Stubbs is pleased to announce that its attorneys will be joining forces with several strategic partners effective January 1, 2016. Until that time, it will be business as usual at Columbus' oldest law firm, which traces its roots back to 1872."
According to the release, seven of the firm's 13 partners -- William B. Hardegree, Charles T. Staples, Robert C. Martin, Jr., John M. Sheftall, Gregory S. Elling
ton, Bradley R. Coppedge and Melanie V. Slaton -- will join the Columbus office of Hall Booth Smith PC, a regional law firm with offices throughout Georgia and across the Southeast. Hall Booth will move its expanded Columbus office to the current Hatcher Stubbs office at the Corporate Center in downtown Columbus.
Four other Hatcher Stubbs partners -- George W. Mize Jr., Alan F. Rothschild Jr., William C. Pound and LaRae D. Moore -- will join the regional law firm of Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford PC at Synovus Centre, also in downtown Columbus.
The other two Hatcher Stubbs partners, Edward P. Hudson and D. Nicholas Stutzman, "are continuing to evaluate options for continuing their extensive residential real estate practices in both Columbus and Atlanta," the release said.
Edward Heard, a son of former automobile mogul Bill Heard Jr., has sued Hatcher Stubbs and one of its ex-partners for more than $25 million, alleging legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust after he lost a trust fund in his father's bankruptcy.
The decision for the Hatcher Stubbs lawyers to go separate ways has nothing to do with the lawsuit, said Mize, the firm's managing partner.
Asked whether any financial problem at Hatcher Stubbs prompted this change, Mize said, "Ironically, we've had some really good months. There is no financial problem."
Mize explained he isn't among the majority of Hatcher Stubbs lawyers joining Hall Booth because he thinks the type of law he practices, commercial and business, fits better at Page Scrantom.
"It's nothing against Hall Booth," he said. "I'm crazy about those guys. They're nothing but gentlemen and professionals."
Rothschild, Pound and Moore, the three other partners going with Mize to Page Scrantom, weren't reached for comment.
The Hatcher Stubbs news release didn't address how the pending moves will affect its two most prominent clients, the public institutions of the Muscogee County School District and the Columbus Water Works.
Ellington, who represents Hatcher Stubbs at most of the Muscogee County School Board meetings, said he, Slaton and Staples do the bulk of the legal work for MCSD and he hopes that will continue at Hall Booth.
The school board must vote on its legal counsel during the January meeting each year. Asked who would handle MCSD's legal work between Jan. 1 and that Jan. 19 meeting, Ellington said, "There are different options available for handling that period of time. But, ultimately, it will be the decision of the superintendent and the board as to how to handle that."
Hatcher Stubbs has been the lone legal counsel in the 65-year history of the school district. As superintendent, David Lewis is responsible for recommending the legal counsel to the board.
"I'll look at qualifications and determine all the legal entities that are available and interested to make a determination on those that are best qualified for the position to best serve our school district going forward," Lewis said.
Slaton, who is Hatcher Stubbs' lead attorney for the Columbus Water Works, said that board doesn't have the same annual requirement to vote on its legal counsel, so such a decision could be made at any time.
"It's the client's discretion as to the legal representation," she said. "We are prepared to continue with the Water Works, and I hope they will continue to use us."
Ellington objected to calling the announcement a breakup.
"I'm really proud of Hatcher Stubbs," he said. "I'm proud of the firm's past, and I'm excited about the future."
Mize said the moves culminate a process that started several years ago and became more earnest "probably 10 months or maybe as much as a year ago."
The managing partner added, "Sure, technically it's a breakup. Normally that involves acrimony and hard feelings, but there was none of that. This was a unique situation. We all sat down as reasonable people and figured out, 'This situation fits me better, and that situation fits you better.'"
Mize also emphasized, regardless of which Hatchers Stubbs lawyers are going to which firms, "A lot of great, legal talent is going to stay in town."
Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow him on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.
This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 8:50 PM with the headline "Columbus' oldest law firm breaking up; Hatcher Stubbs lawyers announce move to other firms ."