Florida Trend Honors Bill Mitchem as a Legal Elite NOTABLE Managing Partner

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Pensacola office managing partner Bill Mitchem earned recognition as a Florida Trend Legal Elite NOTABLE Managing Partner in 2026. He is among 119 office leaders who were chosen for their leadership, professional achievement and community involvement.

"This honor comes at an exciting time for our office,” said Bill. “We recently joined Phelps and expanded the resources available to our clients while continuing to build on the relationships and values that have guided us for decades. I’m proud of what our team has accomplished together."

Bill leads the firm’s Pensacola office, where he drives business development, oversees lawyers and staff and manages operations, resources and budget. He also serves as a liaison to firm leadership and recruits lateral lawyers and law school graduates.

He recently guided the combination of Beggs & Lane, Pensacola’s oldest law firm, with Phelps, which took effect May 1, 2025. The move expanded Phelps’ presence in northwest Florida and strengthened its ability to serve clients across the Southeast.

Bill has helped build the office’s real estate practice and expanded its transaction and litigation teams by recruiting lawyers aligned with the firm’s culture and client needs.

He is an active leader in the Pensacola community, serving on numerous not-for-profit boards over the years.  Most recently, Bill served as president of Fiesta Pensacola, an organization that promotes local history, tourism and economic activity through events and educational programs.

Florida Trend’s July issue features individual profiles of each honoree in a special section highlighting managing partners across the state.