Harris, Caddell & Shanks, P.C., one of the oldest law firms in Alabama, was formed January 1, 1989, by the merger of two of Morgan County’s oldest law firms – Harris, Shinn, Phillips & Perry, P.C. and Caddell & Shanks. The Harris family first began practicing law in Decatur in 1872, when Colonel C. C. Harris established his practice. The Caddell firm can be traced back to 1935, when John H. Peach and John A. Caddell formed a partnership.
Serving as local counsel for numerous national corporations and insurance companies, the firm consists of seven attorneys and a support staff of legal assistants, paralegals and other clerical personnel.
The firm counsels clients in the areas of general civil litigation; corporate law and business planning; insurance defense; commercial litigation; state and federal taxation; real estate, wills, probate and trusts; employment law; elder law; and municipal government.
The offices of Harris, Caddell & Shanks, P.C. are located in a restored historic building in downtown Decatur, Alabama, the county seat of Morgan County. Decatur, which is centrally located in North Alabama, has a population of approximately 56,000. The firm’s office is within walking distance of the Decatur City Hall and Municipal Building, the Morgan County Courthouse and the United States Courthouse, which is the location for both the United States Bankruptcy Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Although the firm’s practice is primarily centered in North Alabama and surrounding areas, it also regularly handles litigation and other matters in Birmingham, Montgomery and other parts of the state.
