Edwards Beightol:
Seeking Justice and Fairness for Their Clients

Cate Edwards and Kristen Beightol share a long-standing friendship that evolved into starting their own law firm – Edwards Beightol – in December 2021. Cate graduated from Princeton University and then Harvard Law School. Kristen graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and then Campbell University School of Law. Eventually, they worked together at a law firm in Raleigh and as Kristen explains, “We met for coffee to talk about a case and realized how well we worked together. We were at the stage in our careers where we were thinking about our next step. Essentially, we went from coffee to starting our own firm.”

“During the pandemic, Kristen and I realized that we are both adaptive creatures,” Cate says. “We like to adapt our practice and the way we work to what the world looks like and what the need is.  We are both diligent in the way we work on cases and while we are different, we work in similar ways. We have a real love for what we do and the people we serve. That commonality led us to think about how we could work together and that evolved into us creating our own firm.”

Edwards Beightol is an award-winning firm specializing in cases that range from personal injury and sexual assault to whistleblower and workplace discrimination. Cate and Kristen have both been recognized numerous times including as Best Lawyers of America and North Carolina Super Lawyers. The firm has grown to seven attorneys and seven support staff.

“You have to love what you do to fight some of the uphill battles we fight and are able to win. You have to pour your soul into it. Above all we love the clients we serve. Finding what feels like justice for them when they’ve been harmed in some way, that is extremely important,” says Cate.

“One of the reasons we started meeting for coffee is that we wanted to find ways to support each other as female attorneys,” Cate continues. “We both grew up in Raleigh and went to the same schools. This is our home and it’s extremely important to us that the work that we do helps improve our greater community,” Cate says. “We thrive best when we support each other, build each other up, and build up others in our community who do good work,” explains Kristen.

From the inception of Edwards Beightol, Cate and Kristen have encouraged service in the community. In its first months, the Edwards Beightol team volunteered together for InterAct, an organization dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic and sexual violence in Wake County. “We have a lot of sexual assault and abuse cases so volunteering with InterAct is a natural fit for us,” Kristen says. The firm has also lent its support to public education in Wake County, community-driven organizations, and projects supporting veterans. Edwards Beightol is consistently looking for ways the firm and its members can serve the community.

Cate, Kristen and other firm lawyers and staff are contributing members of North Carolina Advocates for Justice, an association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers by protecting people, preventing injustice, and promoting fairness. Mentoring is also important to Cate and Kristen, which they do formally through the Campbell Law Connections program and/or informally when the opportunity arises. “We believe in paying it forward by mentoring young attorneys from all walks of life. It’s important to help those attorneys who are coming behind us.  I may gain more from it than they do,” Kristen says.

Edwards Beightol connected with TowneBank when a friend recommended the bank. “When we first opened, we went to two other banks and had a terrible time with both of them,” Cate says. “It’s hard for some banks to wrap their head around the work we do. When we met with Towne, we knew right away that we were in the right place. Everyone was so nice and responsive. Towne made our path from the start to now so seamless, and they have been available at every turn. They cater to us and our practice. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ bank.  We love Sara Boshart, senior vice president and private banker. She is amazing.”

For more information, visit EBLaw.com.