It’s been three decades since attorneys Gary Patrick, John Beard, and Hoyt Samples bid farewell to Stophel, Caldwell & Heggie and started their own practice. Since then, other local firms have formed and split, while others have grown into large concerns. Yet Patrick Beard is still together, and while it’s grown, it’s still small.
That doesn’t mean its parters have small stories to tell. Rather, when speaking about their accomplishments, they can stand toe-to-toe with larger firms.
Seated with Beard at a conference table in the firm’s office on the second floor of the Market Court Building in downtown Chattanooga, Patrick, a commercial litigator, goes first.
“One of our most memorable cases involved the collapse of Butcher Bank,” he says, leaning back in his chair as he takes a trip down memory lane to the late ‘80s. “We ended up filing suit against one of the entities that had represented the Butchers, and obtained a $14 million judgement against them.”
“Gary’s had some big victories in lawsuits,” Beard pipes up from across the table. “He wins most of them, actually. He’s pretty well-feared. Or should I say revered?”
Patrick argued the case all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, so he’s comfortable talking about it, as it was widely covered in the media at the time. Beard, however, is primarily a business transaction attorney, so he’s initially reluctant to speak to the particulars of any case, and talks only in general terms. “We’ve handled some big transactions. Seeing our clients win is huge for us, whether a client sells out or acquires something. We live vicariously through them,” he says.
Then a story he feels at ease sharing comes to him.
“One we both worked on was Southwest Motor Freight, which is now U.S. Xpress,” he says. “The owner sold the company, and shortly after, it ended up in bankruptcy. It could have closed down, but the former owner happened to have an office across the hall from us, and he became interested in buying it back. We negotiated that. We put it together in 20 or so days because a lot of jobs were at risk. The owner and his family made a smart move buying it back.”
Beard says the firm has always tried to offer work that matches the quality of a large firm but in a smaller atmosphere.
After three decades, Patrick Beard has grown to only 13 attorneys, including ten partners and three associates. But the partners don’t hire someone simply to grow the firm, but rather bring on a new attorney when one is needed. “We’ve grown when we can’t get the work done without it,” Beard says.
That doesn’t happen often because the attorneys at Patrick Beard, which cover a variety of practice areas, work hard. Yet the atmosphere at the firm is relaxed – and not because the tranquility of the water fountain in the main lobby is filtering through its walls. Rather, the surprisingly low level of stress at the firm has more to do with the interpersonal dynamics of its partners, associates, and staff.
“Whoever we hire, our emphasis is on getting along with each other and making this a good place to work,” Beard says. “Practicing law is stressful enough without adding internal stress. That’s a huge thing for us, from Gary and me all the way down to the runner.”
Beard says some of the people there say they work harder there than they have at any other firm, but they’ve been able to do it in a relaxed atmosphere. “That’s a strange combination, but it’s something we’ve worked at,” he says, “We’re lucky it’s worked out that way.”
After three decades of working together in an intense environment, how do the attorneys of Patrick Beard continue to get along? Simple, says Patrick: they do more than just work together; they also play together.
“We’re truly friends with all of the people here, and we do a lot of activities together,” he says. “John and I go skiing together, several of us have taken fishing trips to Alaska together, and we have probably nine partners who like to run, so we’ll get together and do that during our lunch hour.”
“One of the questions we ask during an interview is, ‘Do you run?’ Beard says.
“And, ‘If you don’t, are you willing to start?’” says Patrick, laughing. “Mike Anderson, one of the most recent partners to join us, didn’t run, but now he runs six or seven miles when he goes out.”
Whereas the partners at another law firm might say they ensure they continue to get along by taking separate vacations, the key at Patrick Beard is doing something together other than practice law.
Whatever the attorneys at Patrick Beard are doing, it’s working. Most of the lawyers and staff have been with the firm for nearly two decades, with no sign of leaving. “Everyone who’s here has been here a long time and is still contributing to the firm,” says Patrick. “When people come here, they come here for good.”
The benefits of this healthy dynamic trickle down to the firm’s clients, which are the ultimate focus at Patrick Beard. As a result, the firm has enjoyed client relationships spanning multiple decades.
“We work hard to make sure our clients are satisfied with the work we do,” says Patrick. “That’s what we’re all about.”
Although Patrick Beard is 30 years old, it’s a spry 30. Neither Patrick nor Beard has plans to retire, but rather they’re looking forward to celebrating the firm’s 40th and 50th anniversaries. That said, looking back can be daunting.
“We were so young when we started the firm,” says Patrick. “We’ve all aged together.”
“Looking back is scary,” Beard says, laughing. “Gary was going to retire when he was 45.”