History

The history of Bouhan, Williams & Levy LLP dates back to 1886 when William Wilson Osborne entered the practice of law. In the mid 1890s he joined in partnership with former United States Senator Pope Barrow. At that time, the firm was known as Barrow & Osborne. That firm was dissolved in 1900, and in March 1900, W.W. Osborne entered into a partnership with Alexander Atkinson Lawrence under the firm name of Osborne & Lawrence. In 1916, Edmund H. Abrahams was admitted to the firm, and its name changed to Osborne, Lawrence & Abrahams. Alexander A. Lawrence, Jr. became associated with the firm in 1930 upon his admission to the Bar, and, upon the death of his father later in the same year, the firm name was changed to Abrahams & Lawrence.

In the meantime, the firm of Bouhan & Atkinson had been formed in 1924 by two former associates of Osborne & Lawrence, John J. Bouhan and David S. Atkinson. Within a few months after the death of A.A. Lawrence, Sr., these two firms merged under the name of Abrahams, Bouhan, Atkinson & Lawrence. From 1931 forward, this firm has undergone a number of changes in its name and the composition of its partners. These are briefly stated as follows:

Abrahams, Bouhan, Atkinson & Lawrence (1931-1945); with David S. Atkinson withdrawing to become Judge of the Superior Court of the Eastern Judicial Circuit, the firm name was changed on January 1, 1945, to Abrahams, Bouhan & Lawrence (1945 - 1947). Mr. Abrahams died on June 15, 1945. George W. Williams of Cordele, Georgia became a member of the firm in 1947, and the firm name was changed to Bouhan, Lawrence & Williams. In1948, B.H. Levy, an associate of the firm, became a member, and its name was changed to Bouhan, Lawrence, Williams & Levy (1948-1955).

When Kirk McAlpin became a member in 1955, the firm name was changed to Bouhan, Lawrence, Williams, Levy & McAlpin (1955-1963). Upon Mr. McAlpin's move to Atlanta to join the firm of King & Spalding in 1963, the firm name was changed back to Bouhan, Lawrence, Williams & Levy (1963-1968). On August 1, 1968, Alexander A. Lawrence withdrew from the firm to become a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, and the firm name was changed to Bouhan, Williams & Levy, which it continues to carry to this date.

Throughout its many years and many changes, the firm of Bouhan, Williams & Levy LLP has remained committed to those traditions and values set forth by its founders over a century ago. Today, in the halls of the historic Armstrong House in Savannah, Georgia, the strength of a firm that has weathered change continues in its superlative service to clients.