In Memoriam
Jesse P. Evans III
1951 - 2024
Jesse P. Evans III was a partner and co-founder of Evans and Evans, LLC. He was an author, scholar, professor, and mentor to those who knew him and practiced with him. After decades of practicing law with some of Birmingham’s most well-respected law firms, Mr. Evans endeavored to create his own law firm, together with his son and co-founder, Martin W. Evans. It was his vision to create a law firm that focused on the needs and desires of its clients, without the obstacles and restrictions of larger, institutionalized firms; a firm that built long and lasting relationships based on a deep knowledge of the law, a true code of ethics, and compassion and commitment to every client. Mr. Evans’ impact is stitched into the fabric of his firm and his legacy continues.
Throughout Mr. Evans’ long and storied legal career, he represented clients in a wide variety of real estate development, land use, eminent domain, general business, title insurance and real estate matters. He served as lead counsel in hundreds of jury and bench trials as well as over one hundred appeals in the state and federal courts. He was the author, along with co-author Price Evans IV, of Alabama Property Rights and Remedies (6th ed.), one of the leading works on real property law in Alabama and was a member of the Board of Editors of the Alabama Lawyer. He also served as a Professor of Law at Birmingham School of Law and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law.
Mr. Evans was active in the Greater Birmingham Home Builders Association and the Home Builders Association of Alabama for a number of years and served as GBAHB’s General Counsel. He was the first Alabama member of the Legal Action Network for Development Strategies, an elite group of real estate development lawyers associated with the National Association of Homebuilders. He spoke at the annual LANDS conferences on diverse topics and was a member of the Real Estate Study Committee of the Alabama Law Institute that reviews and proposes to the Institute legislation and amendments to existing legislation thought beneficial to the State of Alabama.
Mr. Evans was listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law consistently since 1995, as well as in Alabama Super Lawyers since 2008. Mr. Evans was named by Alabama Super Lawyers to “Alabama Top 50.” and was also recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for business and Real Estate for Zoning/Land Use. He was routinely recognized by Best Lawyers ® as Birmingham’s Land Use and Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year; Litigation-Real Estate Lawyer of the Year and Real Estate and Infrastructure Lawyer of the Year Mr. Evans was also listed as Birmingham Magazine’s Top Attorney in the categories of Commercial Real Estate and Real Estate.
The Birmingham Bar Foundation (BBF) selected Jesse P. Evans III as one of its 2015 Class of Fellows. The members of the 2015 Fellows Class were selected for this honor because of the commitment and leadership they demonstrated in the legal community. This group of attorneys and judges demonstrated a spirit of excellence in their field of practice and have enhanced the general prestige of the profession through Bar and civic leadership. Mr. Evans was also elected by The Birmingham Bar Foundation as a Life Fellow in 2017.
Mr. Evans became a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers in 2021.
The American Bar Foundation also selected Jesse P. Evans III as one of their 2015 Class of Fellows. The Fellows is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the profession and service to society. They are nominated by their peers and elected by the Board of the Foundation. Fellows are limited in each jurisdiction to one percent (1%) of the lawyer population in that jurisdiction.
Mr. Evans was a member of the Limestone County, Birmingham, and Alabama Bar Associations. He was also a member of the Court of Federal Claims and Federal Circuit Bar Associations.