Albert J. Beveridge III - 1935-2026

We are saddened to announce the passing of one of our founders, Albert J. Beveridge III. 

Following early legal positions – including three years with the U.S. Department of Justice and time in private practice— Albert co-founded Beveridge & Diamond in 1974 together with his childhood friends from Indiana, the late Richard Fairbanks and the late William D. Ruckelshaus (first and fifth administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 2015 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom). The fledgling firm, joined in its early days by Henry L. Diamond, the first Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, helped clients navigate the nation’s original generation of environmental laws administered by the relatively new EPA and other state and federal programs. More than 50 years later, Beveridge & Diamond has grown to become the nation’s premier environmental law and litigation practice, with more than 175 lawyers and seven offices across the U.S.

Albert was born in 1935 and raised by his parents, Elizabeth Scaife Beveridge and Albert J. Beveridge, Jr., in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the grandson of the late Senator Albert J. Beveridge (Indiana) and Catherine Eddy Beveridge, educated at Princeton (AB, 1957), Harvard Law School (JD, 1962), and later Johns Hopkins University (MA, 2006). After stepping back from the day-to-day practice of law, Albert continued his studies and obtained a PhD in History from Johns Hopkins in 2014.

Albert brought vision and business savvy to our firm, contributing to its success, especially in the critical early years. Albert counseled clients on high-stakes corporate transactions and strategic matters and nurtured a firm culture grounded in intellectual curiosity, public service, and collegiality. Albert continued to serve the firm as Senior Counsel until the end of his life, often called upon to recount tales from the firm’s early days and origins in the Watergate crisis, as well as the expansion of environmental and natural resource law over time. Albert helped the firm he founded celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025.

Beyond the firm, Albert served as Chair of the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, taking on the job of overseeing the city’s elections. Henry Diamond told the Washington Post at the time, “He takes it with a good deal of grace. He understands it's a thankless job. It wasn't a nice plum, which he could have had."

Albert was a historian at heart, with a lifelong commitment to civic and historical scholarship. From 1985 to 2002, he served as President of the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia. He also served as General Counsel to the American Historical Association, which, in 2005, awarded him its Troyer Steele Anderson Prize (awarded only once every 10 years). Albert held academic appointments at American University, Catholic University, George Washington University, and Johns Hopkins University, where he taught both law and undergraduate history. Albert filled his office and home with models of historic ships, art, and other unique items, always happy to share the fascinating stories behind each object with his visitors.

Albert was fluent in French and German, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a member of numerous community, educational, and philanthropic boards, including: The Urban League of Washington, DC; the District of Columbia Red Cross; the Public Defender Service; the Choral Arts Society; and the National Symphony Orchestra Association, of which he was President. He was a member of the Metropolitan Club, the Chevy Chase Club, the Alibi Club, and the Society of the Cincinnati.

Beveridge & Diamond is proud to carry forward not only Albert’s name but also the mission he helped shape – to serve clients with excellence while addressing complex and critical environmental and natural resource matters throughout the United States and around the world.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Albert’s family and friends and express our gratitude for having had the privilege of knowing and working with Albert.