Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP is a multipractice law firm providing practical and effective legal and business solutions for both business and individual clients. Founded in 1883, Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley is the oldest law firm in continuous existence in the East Bay Area and one of the oldest firms in California. With eight practice and industry groups, we provide a broad array of legal services to business clients ranging from sole proprietorships, partnerships and emerging companies to large regional and national enterprises. While the majority of our business clients are based in the greater Bay Area, many others are located throughout California and the nation.

The firm also represents individuals, small businesses and partnerships with their specialized needs including small business counseling, estate planning, tax and elder law matters.

At FAB, Client Relationships are Everything
At Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley ("FAB"), we believe that client relationships built on loyalty and trust are everything. That's why our attorneys take the time to get to know our clients and their businesses. We work side-by-side with our clients to craft the best and most cost-effective legal and business solutions for their needs. We are accessible and responsive to our clients 24/7 and use state-of-the-art technology to facilitate fast and effective communication.

Our Attorneys: Experienced, Collaborative, Congenial
FAB attorneys have received their legal, graduate and undergraduate educations at some of the finest universities in the country. Because the firm houses eight different practice and industry groups, attorneys who focus their practice in one area of the law are able to collaborate with colleagues who focus in other areas. This approach brings together a substantial depth and breadth of experience, perspective and expertise and allows FAB attorneys to provide clients with integrated solutions to their legal and business challenges.

FAB is proud to have an excellent paralegal staff that helps provide cost-effective legal services for our clients by assisting with a variety of drafting, discovery and other services. All FAB paralegals have received their training at some of the finest paralegal programs in the country.

The firm prides itself on its collegial and congenial atmosphere. Our attorneys enjoy working here, and it shows. Many FAB partners began their legal careers here and have been at the firm ever since. We believe that this continuity of service benefits our clients in that they know who will be working on their case from day to day - at FAB, clients needn't be concerned about the "musical attorneys" situation found at some other firms. We think this stability and continuity speaks volumes about the quality of our people and workplace.

A Tradition of Community Service
From the firm's earliest days, when Robert M. Fitzgerald helped found the organization that would become the State Bar of California and Charles Beardsley was appointed Oakland Port Commission Attorney and elected President of the American Bar Association, Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley has had a long tradition of community service.

Today, our attorneys are active in legal organizations such as the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the Alameda County Bar and the Bar Association of San Francisco. FAB attorneys also participate side by side with clients in a variety of trade and industry organizations.

FAB believes strongly in giving back to the community that has given us so much. To support that belief, our attorneys participate on boards of directors of nonprofit organizations including the Alta Bates Summit Foundation, Legal Assistance for Seniors, Volunteers of America Bay Area, the AIDS Referral Panel and the Fred Finch Youth Center. Our attorneys also provide pro bono legal services for a variety of nonprofit organizations and support a number of philanthropic causes throughout the Bay Area.

A Heritage Of Excellent Legal Service Since 1883
Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP dates its beginnings to the spring of 1883, when Robert M. Fitzgerald opened his Oakland legal practice in a two-room office on Broadway. Over the next 20 years, Fitzgerald formed a partnership with colleagues Carl H. Abbott and Charles A. Beardsley. The partners were a dynamic trio helping the fledgling community of Oakland with its many growing pains, including development and control of the waterfront, land transportation and an adequate water supply. They were also major players in the founding and leadership of the professional organizations that would ultimately become the Alameda County and California State Bar Associations.

In 1895, Carl Abbott, who had shared office space and worked on legal matters with Fitzgerald since 1891, became his junior partner. By the end of the century, the partnership of Fitzgerald & Abbott was well-established and enjoying remarkable success. In 1900, Fitzgerald and Abbott formed a partnership with Donald Y. Campbell and E.S. Fowler and moved their practice to San Francisco. However, neither the partnership nor the stay in San Francisco was of long duration, and the 1906 earthquake and fire ultimately precipitated Fitzgerald and Abbott's return to Oakland.

In 1908, Charles A. Beardsley became an associate with Fitzgerald and Abbott, and, in 1913, was made a partner. The firm name was changed to Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley and has remained as such since then as a tribute to the founding partners. Like Fitzgerald, Beardsley was active in civic and professional affairs and throughout his career served as Assistant Oakland City Attorney and Oakland Port Commission Attorney. The firm has continued to provide legal services for the latter to this day. In addition, Beardsley served as President of both the State Bar of California and the American Bar Association.

While the three founding partners have long since passed away, the firm founded by R.M. Fitzgerald in 1883 has continued to grow and thrive. Today, Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley continues to practice in traditional areas of law including business and corporate transactions, labor and employment, environment, natural resources and energy, real estate, estates and trusts and litigation. While the firm's practice has grown and evolved, one thing has remained constant at Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley: the firm's commitment to providing the finest legal services to its clients.