This year marks 140 years that Beggs & Lane has been continuously serving northwest Florida, making it the oldest law firm in Pensacola and among the oldest in the State of Florida. For perspective, Beggs & Lane first opened in 1883, a year in which the first electric lighting system using overhead wires began service, 5 standard time zones were established, telephone switchboards first came to Florida, and before the cities of Orlando, St Petersburg, and Miami were incorporated.
The firm was originally founded as Blount & Blount by William A. Blount and his brother, Judge Alexander Clement Blount, Jr., in 1883. The Blount’s left a lasting legacy on Florida’s legal system through their remarkable careers. In 1906, J.E.D. (J.E. Davis) Yonge was hired as an associate of the firm. He was the son of P.K. Yonge, a distinguished Pensacolian. The Yonge family played an important role in the development of West Florida.Judge Francis B. Carter was invited to join the firm in 1907. In 1918, Blount & Blount & Carter hired E. Dixie Beggs, Jr., the son of Judge E. Dixie Beggs, Sr., as an office boy. In 1921 Judge AC. Blount retired and on that date the firm changed its name to Blount, Carter & Yonge. Two days later, on June 15, 1921, W.A. Blount died at the age of 69. The firm of Blount, Carter & Yonge thus lasted only two days and was succeeded by the firm of Carter & Yonge. In 1931, E. Dixie Beggs, Jr. was admitted to the Bar and he and his father formed the firm of Beggs & Beggs which served the community independently of Carter & Yonge. In 1937 E. Dixie Beggs, Jr. joined the firm by merger and thus the firm of Yonge, Beggs & Carter was formed. That same year. Mr. Bert Lane took the state bar exam at the age of 20 and was admitted to the bar. Yonge, Beggs & Carter added partners and associates from 1937 to 1975, ultimately becoming Beggs, Lane, Daniel, Gaines & Davis. In 1975 the name was shortened to Beggs & Lane and has served our community with this name for over 48 years, while still tracing its roots back to the principals of service to the community and zealous representation of its clients which guided the original partners, Mr. Blount and Mr. Blount.
140 years have transformed Beggs & Lane from a small law firm of two men with a big reach into a 30 attorney law firm with roughly 100 employees. While the passage of time may bring about many changes, Beggs & Lane’s commitment to providing clients with exceptional service has always remained consistent. Beggs & Lane is proud of its long history and is proud of the fact that over the last 140 years, Beggs & Lane, at each and every milestone which occurred in history, has been actively serving Northwest Florida by offering a full range of legal services to meet any need, including civil and criminal litigation, business law, estate planning, tax advice, real estate, administrative, government and energy law.