Montgomery — Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., was selected by Law360 as one of the 10 Best Law Firms for Black Attorneys in the U.S. The firm was recognized as having the highest percentage of African-American partners of any of the firms included on the list.
Tom Methvin, Principal & Managing Attorney for the firm, says being mindful of providing opportunities for African-American attorneys is part of the firm’s business plan. The firm actively supports programs of the Alabama Lawyers Association, and each year takes two or more law clerks from that network. Creating a workplace where black attorneys can succeed is a win-win for everyone, he says.
“When you have diversity, you have different points of view. It helps attract clients. It helps us understand how juries feel. We wanted to have African-American attorneys in each section that we practice,” Methvin said. “We expect a lot out of all our lawyers, and we provide an environment where they can be successful if they want to be. Their success is the firm’s success.”
Kendall Dunson is a Principal in the firm’s Personal Injury/Products Liability Section. He was named Beasley Allen’s Litigator of the Year for 2015. He has served as president of both the Alabama Lawyers Association and the Capital City Bar Association, and served as the first African-American President of the Montgomery County Bar Association.
“Beasley Allen is proud of its stance on diversity, but we’re more proud of the success of our African American attorneys,” Dunson says.
“Each of us have distinguished ourselves as an excellent attorney, and an asset to the legal field.”
To compile its Top 10 list, Law360 surveyed more than 300 U.S. firms with a U.S. component, about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2015. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey. Firms are ranked based on three factors: the percentage of partners, both equity and non-equity, who self-identify as black; the percentage of non-partners who self-identify as black; and the number of attorneys at the firm who self-identify as black.
To obtain more information about Beasley Allen’s African American attorneys and their successes, visit the attorneys page on the firm’s website at www.beasleyallen.com/attorneys . For additional information about verdicts and settlements, contact Helen Taylor, Public Relations Coordinator, at About Beasley Allen Law Firm.
Headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., Beasley Allen is comprised of more than 70 attorneys and 200 support staff. One of the largest Plaintiffs law firms in the country, Beasley Allen is a national leader in civil litigation, with verdicts and settlements in excess of $26 billion.
