The Law Offices of

     Steiner, Crum & Byars, P.C.

     Montgomery, Alabama 

     334-832-8800

Continuing the practice of Steiner, Crum & Baker

Of Counsel

Origins of the Firm - Steiner, Crum & Byars, P.C. is the current iteration of one the oldest and most respected firms in Alabama, and Montgomery's oldest firm.  Its predecessor, Steiner, Crum & Baker, remains of counsel.  The Steiner law firm tradition originated in Greenville, Alabama in 1884.  General Robert E. Steiner, Sr. was the founder of that tradition, and at one time he, his son Robert E. Steiner, Jr. and grandson, Robert E. Steiner, III, all three graduates of University of Alabama and Harvard Law School, practiced law together as Steiner, Crum & Baker.  In 1892, Steiner, Sr. formed the firm Graham & Steiner in Montgomery, Alabama, and in 1904 expanded to become Steiner, Crum & Weil, which name it maintained until 1950 when it became Steiner, Crum & Baker, which continues in existence and serves "of counsel" to Steiner, Crum & Byars, P.C.  An original partner in Steiner Crum firm was Judge Benjamin P. Crum, a former member of the Alabama Court of Appeals.

Leadership within the Profession -  The Steiner Crum firm had four presidents of the Alabama State Bar, including current shareholders Walter Byars and Roland Nachman, and at least five presidents of the Montgomery County Bar, including Byars.  Four partners served as Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  The firm's current chairman, Walter Byars, is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers, having served as its President in 1983-84. 

Banking and Financial Institutions - The Steiner Crum firm, rich in banking tradition, represented both the First National Bank of Montgomery, one of the original parties to the formation of Regions Financial Corporation, and American National Bank, the Montgomery bank merged into AmSouth BancCorp.  General Steiner represented both banks, and his son and grandson both served on the Board of the First National Bank of Montgomery, and Steiner III was the principal attorney in the initial formation of First Alabama Bankshares, predecessor to Regions Financial Corp., serving on its Board until his retirement.  The Steiner firm continues to represent Regions Financial and its subsidiaries. 

Additionally, two lawyers well-known for providing services to financial institutions have joined Of Counsel to the firm.  First, Maria B. Campbell, is the former Superintendent of Banks and a member of the Cabinet, State of Alabama, and Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel for AmSouth Bank and AmSouth Bankcorporation in Birmingham, Alabama.  Campbell also currently serves as Vice Chairman of  the Board of the Bank of Alabama.  James D. Pruett is the former Sr. Vice President and Associate General Counsel and Acting General Counsel of AmSouth Bank.

Utility and Administrative Law - The Steiner firm had represented Southern Bell and its Bell affiliates and these railroads since the firm's inception in Montgomery in 1892.  Three of the firm's current attorneys have in-house experience with BellSouth or its predecessors.  Robert O'Neill, who is Of Counsel to the firm, served as the General Counsel of South Central Bell and as Vice President of BellSouth.  Atley Kitchings served as both the Alabama and the Mississippi general attorney for South Central Bell, and he represented both BellSouth and Sonat as outside counsel.  Byars served as General Attorney-Alabama for Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company, having left the role of in-house counsel to become a partner in Steiner, Crum & Baker in 1968. 

Mark Caudill served as Vice President of Rates and Regulation, Vice President of State and Federal Regulatory Affairs, and as Vice President and Corporate Secretary of AGL Resources, and its subsidiaries, including Atlanta Gas Light Company.  Mark also held numerous positions with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including serving as the Deputy Associate General Counsel for Enforcement.  He currently represents AGL in connection with a number of environmental remediation projects.

The firm continues its practice of administrative law and appeals representing not only the public utilities and railroads, but engaging in practice before the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and in healthcare matters before the State Health Planning & Development Agency, representing nursing homes and hospitals.  Roland Nachman represented the Alabama Hospital and Jackson Hospital, with respect to regulatory and other matters.

Alabama Tax Matters -Byars was the principal outside attorney representing South Central Bell, BellSouth Telecommunications and other BellSouth entities, and CSX Transportation and its predecessor railroads, in the challenge of the Alabama franchise tax scheme which led to the same being found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme court.  The firm routinely handles matters before the state department of revenue.

Legislative and Regulatory Matters - Since its inception, the Steiner firm has been active in legislative matters, commencing with the election of General Robert E. Steiner, then practicing in Greenville, Alabama, to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1888 and subsequently to the Alabama State Senate in 1892. 

Walter Byars currently serves as legislative counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and Alabama Wholesale Beer Association.  Additionally, Mark Caudill served as the director of state governmental relations for Sonat Inc., and he served as a member of the Alabama Legislature's Permanent Oil and Gas Study Committee.  Both Byars and Caudill have provided testimony before numerous state legislative bodies.

Trial Practice - The Steiner firm has been noted for its trial practice and its representation of Alabama Power Company, the Bell System Companies (now BellSouth Companies), Regions Bank and its predecessors, most of the major railroads operating in Montgomery and South Alabama, including three Steiner generations as General Counsel of the Western Railway of Alabama, and qualifying and representing Union Camp (now merged into International Paper Company) when it located and constructed its new plant in Prattville, Alabama.  As noted above, four partners served as Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  Their predecessors, General Robert E. Steiner and Judge Benjamin P. Crum, were noted trial lawyers.  The firm continues to be active in trial and appellate practice.  

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