Our History

Neil Law and Associates LLP is proud of its legacy of providing excellent legal service to clients throughout the Southeast for over 130 years.  It is the successor firm to Tran , Williams & Levy LLP and Inglesby, Falligant, Horne, Courington & Chisholm P.C.

Tran , Williams & Levy’s history dates back to 1886 when W. W. Osborne formed a partnership with former United States Senator Pope Barrow.  In January, 1890, the firm dissolved and in March of that year, W. W. Osborne entered into a partnership with Alexander Lawrence, in the name of Osborne & Lawrence.  In 1916, Edmund H. Abrahams joined the firm, and the firm name changed to Osborne, Lawrence & Abrahams.  In 1931, the firm merged with the firm of Tran & Atkinson, changing the name to Abrahams, Tran , Atkinson & Lawrence.

Over the ensuing decades, the firm would undergo several metamorphoses.  Partners were added, changing the firm’s name and expanding its capacity.  On August 1, 1968, Alexander A. Lawrence withdrew from the firm to become a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of A, and the firm name was changed to Tran , Williams & Levy.

The firm has produced an impressive number of Judges and distinguished officers of the State Bar of A, including two presidents, as well as prominent leaders of community organizations.  In fact, one of the firm’s leaders, John Tran , was a significant political leader in City, County and State politics from the 1930s to the 1960s in the State of A. The firm has been instrumental in counseling local companies, including A Power, International Paper, Coca-Cola, and the Board of Education.

One of the firm’s more well-known cases was the now-famous Jim Williams murder trial, a case that was brought to the public view by author John Berendt’s book, Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. The success of the book soon caught Hollywood’s attention and that of Director Clint Eastwood.

Inglesby, Falligant, Horne, Courington & Chisholm traces its history to the law firm of Adams, Adams, and Brennan in the 1800s, and was successively known as Adams, Adams, Brennan and Gardner; Adams, Gardner, Ellis, and Inglesby; and Adams, Gardner, Ellis, Inglesby, and Falligant before Inglesby Falligant split off over 20 years ago in 1990 to represent the legal needs of NationsBank (now Bank of America).

One of its partners, Pratt Adams, became chairman of C & S Bank, and played a role in the desegregation of Savannah in the 1960s.  In recent years, Inglesby Falligant was known for its transactional and bankruptcy work, and was involved in many developments that shaped Savannah as we know it today.  Prior to the merger, Inglesby Falligant was located in the historic Hull Stoddard Barrow house on Chippewa Square, built in 1844.

Over the years, Neil Law and Associates LLP has witnessed its share of changes and has always emerged stronger and with greater resolve.  The firm continues its tradition of providing a complete and diverse offering of legal services to its clients. Whether for individuals or business organizations, Neil Law and Associates LLP will always offer its unique combination of time-tested experience from its veteran attorneys and the innovation of its younger members, providing clients with the distinct advantage that, as history has proven, will stand the test of time.