Firm History

James H. Moore, III, Luanne Clarke, Willis A. DuVall, Jr. and W. Ralph Rodgers, Jr. formed the firm of Moore Clarke DuVall & Rodgers, P.C. and opened their office for the practice of law on July 5, 1994, in Albany, Georgia.  All four Partners were in their 30s and had previously been partners at another Albany firm.  In exchange for their partnership interest in that firm, they received a turn-of-the-century two-story brick building at 308 Flint Avenue in Albany.  There, the four began their separate practice of law.

The first full week of July in 1994 was one for the records in Albany.  The Flood of 1994 began on Wednesday, July 7th, right after the office opened.  This flood was described as the “one thousand year flood” for the Albany area, and it was devastating.  In anticipation of flood waters ravaging their building, the four new Partners moved all files and valuables to the second floor.  Thankfully, the flood waters came within less than a half block of the office, but no flooding occurred.

Soon, the new practice was bustling with clients and legal work to be done.  Nonetheless, the young Partners, two with small children and one with a new wife, went without pay for six months to get the practice up and running.  Moore specialized in Business, Banking and Commercial Law, Clarke in Workers’ Compensation Defense, DuVall in Real Estate, and Rodgers in Taxation, Wills and Estate Planning.

By 1996, the firm had expanded to add three associates and numerous staff.  A buyer approached the firm about the purchase of the building at 308 Flint Avenue, and it was sold.  A new office was constructed at 204 North Westover Boulevard in northwest Albany, and the Partners continued their thriving practice.

Current equity Partner, Brad Folsom, joined the firm in 2000, initially in the Albany office.  The firm decided that it would be in its best interest to geographically diversify and determined to open an office in Valdosta, Georgia.  The Valdosta office was opened in 2003, and Folsom subsequently made the decision to move to Valdosta to manage the office.

Wallace Bonner joined the firm, leaving another local Albany firm, in 2003.  Wallace joined Willis DuVall in the firm’s expanding real estate practice and became an equity Partner in January of 2011.

In 2004, the firm constructed a new office building in Albany consisting of 12,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space which became and remains the “nerve center” of the firm from which all administrative functions are performed.

The firm, desiring to further diversify its geographical footprint, determined to meet the needs of existing clients in the Savannah area and to open an office there.  Drew DeMott left the Valdosta office to move to Savannah and manage the office, which has since grown exponentially.

Furthering its goal of geographic expansion, the firm acquired the practice of a well-established Tifton attorney, Mark Sandifer, in October of 2019.  Mark joined the firm as a Partner, and the office has since thrived.