It’s been a century since the law office of Cothran, Dean & Wyche opened its doors in Greenville, ushering in the start of a practice that would reshape the city around it.
The firm changed its name a few times along the way, ultimately settling on Wyche Law Firm, but the spirit of the firm — one of community advocacy and restoration — has remained steady from the start.
Wyche’s history and Greenville’s history are deeply intertwined.
“Many of our city’s most iconic landmarks exist today because Wyche attorneys saw the long-term vision and stayed the course to make them a reality,” said Mayor Knox White.
The projects that Wyche attorneys played a role in developing read like a tourist’s guide of the city’s highest-profile attractions: The Peace Center. RiverPlace. The Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Hyatt Hotel. Heritage Green. Not to mention, the hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness preserved through Naturaland Trust, the conservation trust founded by Tommy Wyche in 1973.
And, though these projects are firmly part of Greenville’s landscape, firm member and shareholder Wallace Lightsey said in the beginning, they were far from certain.
“In many ways, Wyche has been an exciting and daring experiment,” Lightsey said. “It’s inspiring to know that same spirit continues as we embark on a new era.”
That new era begins with the launch of Wyche’s Centennial Legacy Project, an endeavor to crystalize the firm’s longstanding goals within a single venture. The Centennial Legacy Project will support organizations and projects that embody four key pillars: advancing the business community, societal impact, community transformation and environmental stewardship.
Wyche CEO and Chair Tally Parham Casey said the project will be a chance for Wyche to formally recognize the importance of collaboration in molding the firm’s legacy.
“[It] was formed with that collaboration in mind, knowing that our legacy is shared and strengthened in partnership with others who are focused on inspiring positive change,” Casey said, adding that she hoped the change would be felt for generations.
Wyche will announce the organizations and projects that will be supported by the Centennial Legacy Project starting in the fall and extending into 2022, right around the same time the firm will be moving into new offices at 200 E. Broad St. in downtown Greenville.
Lightsey said the new space will “honor our history while also accommodating our needs for the future.”
What that future holds remains unclear — just as it was when the firm’s founders started out — but those at the helm of Wyche today say they’re reassured by the knowledge of the scope of what is possible, of what has already been achieved.
“It’s humbling to see the ways in which the bold vision of the firm’s early leaders has been realized,” Lightsey said.
Civil Rights
Fifteen years following Brown v. Board of Education, the Greenville County School District had yet to desegregate. At the request of the NAACP, Wyche developed a plan that accelerated integration and successfully carried it through against significant political pressure. The proposal was accepted by District Court Judge Robert Martin, and is regarded as the linchpin in finally successfully integrating Greenville County Schools.
