Founded in Worcester in 1916, Mirick O'Connell has served
clients in Central Massachusetts, MetroWest and Boston for nearly a
century. In June 2016 the firm will celebrate its 100th
anniversary.
Mirick O'Connell is a member of the MBA Honor Roll, which is
open to all law firms with five or more Massachusetts lawyers, and
which enroll 100 percent of their attorneys in the Massachusetts
Bar Association within an association year. The Honor Roll
acknowledges the strong commitment that many firms have made to
full MBA membership.
"The Honor Roll is a formal recognition of the firm's support
and dedication to the MBA," said Christopher P. Sullivan, MBA
treasurer and partner at MBA Honor Roll firm Robins Kaplan LLP.
"It's a win-win situation for the firm and the MBA, because the MBA
appreciates the support and the firm has great opportunities to
provide speakers for CLEs and leadership opportunities for lawyers
within the firm."
Based in Worcester with offices in Westborough and Boston,
Mirick O'Connell began as a business law firm but has since grown
strong litigation, labor and employment, trusts and estates, tax
law, corporate finance and domestic relations practices. The firm
is made up of more than 60 attorneys, 32 of whom are partners.
David E. Surprenant is the managing partner of the firm, which also
features a four-person management committee.
Richard C. Van Nostrand, firm partner and MBA past president,
described the firm as a "big fish in a somewhat smaller pond" and
added that they could be described as a "sophisticated Boston
practice with a Worcester location."
The firm is also known for its high level of mentoring in which
experienced lawyers serve as role models to help younger attorneys
with their professional development.
"For me, one of the greatest attributes of the firm is the
attitude toward mentoring," said Van Nostrand. "The firm and our
attorneys have always had an appreciation and enjoyment for the
mentoring function here."
MBA partnership
Mirick O'Connell's storied history includes a track record of
strong involvement at the MBA.
Van Nostrand, who has been with the firm for more than 30 years,
served as MBA president during the 2003-04 association year and was
the recipient of an MBA Community Service Award in 2011. Firm
founding partner Laurence H. Lougee also served as MBA president in
1962-63.
"Active participation in the MBA provides us with the
opportunity to participate in and hopefully have a positive impact
on issues affecting the profession, particularly including the
administration of justice," said Van Nostrand. "The MBA provides an
opportunity for our firm to collectively and collaboratively
address issues at the intersection of law and society, and allows
us to interact at the highest levels with the leadership of the
state's judiciary, executive and legislative branches."
Membership in the MBA provides attorneys at Mirick O'Connell
with a sense of professionalism and an opportunity to serve the
administration of justice through participating in legal services
activities and various committees as a way of giving back to the
profession. The firm also highly values membership in the MBA
because it's a great opportunity to associate and share ideas with
other attorneys outside of the courtroom in a social
environment.
"We have always valued the importance of bar associations,
whether it be the MBA, the Worcester County Bar Association (WCBA)
or the American Bar Association (ABA)," said Van Nostrand.
"Activity in bar associations really provides an outlet to serve
the community and the firm has always been very supportive of our
attorneys being actively engaged."
A community staple
A hallmark of the firm has always been its high level of
involvement within the Central Massachusetts community. A staple of
the firm's community service is participation in the United Way's
annual workplace campaign and Day of Caring. For the most recent
Day of Caring, the firm's attorneys volunteered with Habitat for
Humanity to build playhouses for disadvantaged children. Mirick
O'Connell has been a frequent pace-setting organization in terms of
financial contributions made by its attorneys to the annual
campaign.
The firm is currently involved in a recently announced unique
medical-legal partnership with Worcester-based Community Legal Aid
and UMass Memorial Health Care, one of the firm's largest clients.
Through a Legal Services Corporation pro bono Innovation
Fund grant, Community Legal Aid will partner with UMass Memorial
Health Care to develop a clinic-based program to address legal
needs that negatively impact the health of low-income and minority
communities. Several Mirick O'Connell attorneys will be involved in
the project by providing pro bono legal services.
Mirick O'Connell has received numerous awards and accolades,
including being named one of the Worcester Business
Journals 2014 Top Workplaces and receiving a Special
Recognition Award from Attorney General Martha Coakley in 2012 for
the firm's participation in the third annual "Legal Food Frenzy" of
Massachusetts. The firm was recognized for "Most Actual Food
Collected by a Large Firm" and "Most Raised Overall by a Large Firm
in Worcester County."
Is your firm an Honor Roll Firm? Send us your news and
updates. We'll be featuring more Honor Roll Firms in future issues
of Lawyers Journal and eJournal. Not in the Honor
Roll? Find out how to join by contacting MBA Member Services at
(617) 338-0530, or email [e-mail memberservices].
The MBA - your firm's
partner
MBA Honor Roll firms have five or more Massachusetts lawyers and
enroll 100 percent of their attorneys in the MBA within an
association year. Take advantage of the many ways the MBA can work
for your firm:
FREE legal research: MBA members get free,
unlimited access to Fastcase, one of the nation's most popular
legal research services.
FREE continuing legal education: The MBA helps
your attorneys enhance their practices and stay on top of the
through our free CLE programs, many of which are also offered via
MBA On Demand.
Referral opportunities: MBA members have access
to the MBA's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), one of the largest
lawyer referral services in the country. Through its website,
www.MassLawHelp.com, LRS is able to offer instant referrals to
potential clients, 24/7.
Unmatched insurance: MBA members have immediate
access to exclusive insurance programs designed and negotiated
annually by the MBA's own insurance committee, which builds
coverage specifically tailored for lawyers who practice in
Massachusetts.
Networking opportunities: Whether in person at
an MBA event or via My Bar Access, the MBA's vibrant online
community, members of your firm can connect and interact with other
like-minded legal professionals across the commonwealth.
Leadership opportunities: Whether you're
looking to be an officer, Section Council leader, program chair or
a panelist on a CLE, the MBA offers many opportunities to get
involved and enhance your leadership skills.
Thank you 2015-16 MBA Honor
Roll Firms!
- Arrowood Peters LLP
- Brown & Brown PC
- Brick & Sugarman LLP
- Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas LLP
- Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford LLP
- Consigli and Brucato PC
- Coogan, Smith, McGahan, Lorincz, Jacobi & Shanley LLP
- Deutsch, Williams, Brooks, DeRensis & Holland PC
- Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy PC
- Esdaile, Barrett, Jacobs & Mone
- Franco & Greeley
- Finneran & Nicholson PC
- Hackett Feinberg PC
- Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
- Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP
- Jones Kelleher LLP
- Kopelman and Paige PC
- Laredo & Smith LLP
- Lee & Rivers LLP
- MacLean, Holloway, Doherty, Ardiff & Morse PC
- Marien and Hodge PC
- McGrath and Kane
- Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow PC
- Mirick, O'Connell, DeMallie & Lougee LLP
- Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting LLP
- Mullen & McGourty
- Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP
- Nolan Sheehan Patten LLP
- Peabody & Arnold LLP
- Phillips, Gerstein & Channen LLP
- Pojani Hurley & Ritter LLP
- Pyle Rome Ehrenberg PC
- Rich May PC
- Robins Kaplan LLP
- Robinson Donovan PC
- Seder & Chandler LLP
- Shilepsky, Hartley, Robb, Casey, Michon LLP
- Skoler, Abbott & Presser PC
- Sloane and Walsh LLP
- Social Security Law Group
- Stoneman Chandler & Miller LLP
- Sugarman and Sugarman PC
- Swartz & Swartz PC
- Thornton Law Firm LLP
- Todd & Weld LLP
- Tommasino & Tommasino
- Vacovec, Mayotte & Singer LLP
- Witmer, Karp, Warner & Ryan LLP
Join the MBA Honor Roll today. Contact MBA Member Services
at (617) 338-0530.