Stubbs Cole featured as “Law Firm of the Month” in Triangle Edition of Attorney at Law Magazine
Stubbs Cole Breedlove Prentis & Biggs is pleased to have been featured as the “Law firm of the Month” in Attorney at Law Magazine’s inaugural edition in the Triangle. Click here to see the article or read the full text below
Personal Relations are Key to Firm’s Longevity
By Bob Friedman
Personal relationships with clients are the key to the past, present and future of Durham-based Stubbs, Cole, Breedlove, Prentis and Biggs, P.L.L.C. The firm is a traditional general practice law firm that takes pride in being the adviser and counselor at law in all legal areas for individuals and small businesses. “We want our clients to be able to pick up the phone and call their lawyer, whether it’s dealing with a lawsuit, estate planning following the birth of a child, purchasing a house or their son just got a speeding ticket,” says Bryson Aldridge one of several partners.
Personal relationships have been the key to Stubbs Cole’s longevity, and longevity is something the firm knows a lot about. Stubbs Cole, established 81 years ago, is Durham’s oldest continuously practicing law firm. Allston J. Stubbs started the firm in 1932 with a practice concentrating on residential and commercial real estate and banking.
The firm continues to build on the solid reputation created by Allston Stubbs, Jim Cole, Ike Breedlove and the current partners. Partners Tom Biggs, Richard Prentis, Bryson Aldridge and J. Crumpler and Associate Sonya Mochegova work hard to maintain the practice and the reputation Stubbs intended.
“We’ve been able to earn the trust of our clients so we can represent several generations of the same family as that family continues to grow,” says Richard Prentis Jr.. “Our goal is to be able to help our clients through the entire cycle of life of individuals, families or business owners.
Where other law firms focus on one or a few practice areas, Stubbs Cole endeavors to be a broad-based, general practice law firm. Practice areas include criminal and civil litigation, banking, estate planning and commercial real estate. “Each area of the practice of law does not exist in a vacuum. Full service to a client requires an understanding of the interrelationship of legal concepts and strong general experience. For instance, every area of real estate law and business law requires a basic understanding of relevant tax law. It is important to have experience in all areas so that your advice leads to a comprehensive solution,” says Prentis.
“We don’t put our clients in a box and say ‘this is what you need,’” says Prentis “We try to understand their needs, identify the issues, help them solve the problem, and then advise them on how to avoid the same problems moving forward.”
Stubbs Cole is tucked into the small legal corridor on East Parrish Street in historic downtown Durham. “We have been and remain very much involved in the Durham community,” says Prentis. Members of the firm have served as presidents of the Kiwanis, Rotary, Jaycees and the Duke Durham Alumni Association. For over 30 years, the firm has been honored with Martindale Hubbell’s highest AV rating.
The members of the firm remain conscious of the history and tradition of Stubbs Cole and of the desire and need to perpetuate that tradition. They are looking to the future by adding younger members to the firm. “We don’t want to expand our practice areas,” says Prentis “We want to continue to add quality attorneys and paralegals that will be attentive and sensitive to the needs of our clients and continue relationships with them for future generations.”