Firm History
Bond, From its Beginning to Today…
Bond, Schoeneck & King is a full-service law firm of more than 300 attorneys. The firm was “born” in Syracuse, New York in 1897, the year that George H. Bond graduated from Syracuse University College of Law and began his career. His practice grew rapidly in downtown Syracuse, and in 1908 he was joined by Edward Schoeneck. Clarence R. King joined them in 1913, and soon thereafter, “Bond, Schoeneck & King” became the unchanging name of the firm. For many years, the professional and public careers of Mr. Bond, Mr. Schoeneck and Mr. King followed parallel courses. Mr. Bond was elected District Attorney of Onondaga County. Mr. Schoeneck became Mayor of Syracuse and later was Lieutenant Governor of New York. Mr. King became Chairman of the Executive Committee of the State’s Republican Committee.
The Early Years
The firm remained small for the next two decades – no more than four or five lawyers. However, the three founders attracted a number of prominent clients that included Syracuse University, General Electric, Syracuse China, Pass & Seymour, and the Syracuse Newspapers. Also in that era, the firm organized the Lincoln National Bank & Trust Co. which became an anchor client and eventually joined Chase Manhattan Bank. This blue-chip clientele helped fuel the firm’s reputation for attracting sophisticated legal work that remains to this day.
Developing a Cornerstone Practice
Fast forward to the 1960s, and the area of labor relations was expanding, fueled by the rapid spread and vigorous activities of unions. Under the guidance of Tracy Ferguson, this practice quickly gained traction and soon acquired an enviable roster of clients across the state, the region, and eventually, nationally. Over the next five decades the Labor and Employment Law Department became a formidable resource and one of the largest practices of its kind in the Northeast.
The Go-Go Era
In the ‘70s, new areas of law were developing and the firm formed new practices to provide guidance in matters concerning environmental law, employee benefits, employment discrimination, and intellectual property. Of particular note was the growing catalog of the firm’s legal work on behalf of regional colleges and universities. In addition to long-standing client, Syracuse University, work for Colgate University, Clarkson University, St. Lawrence University, Le Moyne College, and Hamilton College became a significant portion of the firm’s on-going slate of matters.
Another burgeoning area of legal work was also developing in size and scope as the evolution of the healthcare industry accelerated. A number of health care institutions throughout Upstate New York became clients and availed themselves of Bond’s many areas of experience.
Mergers, Acquisitions and New Markets
Along with the expansion of the firm’s menu of services came a geographic expansion to provide more localized service to a state-wide client base and to create new opportunities for the firm’s growth.
- In 1971, Albany became the first regional office, placing a permanent footprint where the firm had been representing clients for decades.
- In 1978, the Naples, Florida office was opened to take advantage of a rapidly developing market and to serve “snowbird” clients who were settling there.
- A decade later, the firm acquired an established general law practice in Oswego, New York and thereby established a presence in Northern, New York.
- In 1991, the firm established its innovative Collegiate Sports Practice with an office in Kansas City, the former home of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
- In 1997, the firm acquired a labor and employment law boutique in Buffalo and began to further establish its presence in Western New York.
- Shortly after the turn of the century, the firm opened offices in Ithaca and Utica, New York. The former provided local access to the rich intellectual property environment in and around Cornell University. The latter provided local access to the business and manufacturing communities in the Mohawk Valley Region.
- In 2004, the firm acquired members of two labor and employment law firms – one in New York City and one on Long Island - to provide a foothold in the New York Metro Area and create further opportunities for growth in one of the world’s largest markets.
- In 2008, Bond opened an office in Rochester, New York created with a number of well-established and respected partners from three local law firms.
- In 2013, the Albany office further expanded as six attorneys from the former firm of Ruffo, Tabora, Mainello & McKay, an Albany-based firm with a significant statewide long term care practice, joined Bond. The new practice significantly expanded the scope of legal services provided by Bond to health care and long term care providers.
- In 2014, two firms joined Bond’s New York Metro Area practice. The New York City-based law firm of Kehl, Katzive & Simon, LLP, added its roster of leading counselors who represented an array of colleges and universities, secondary schools and not-for-profit institutions. In Garden City, Long Island, members of Kennedy and Gillen firm expanded the office’s service offerings with a concentration on general business and real estate law, along with civil litigation. These additions strengthened Bond’s commitment to provide an ever-increasing menu of services to both the private and public sectors in the New York City Metro Area.
- In 2016, Bond combined with the venerable firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel to form a 48-lawyer office in Buffalo, making Bond one of the largest law firms in Western and Upstate New York. Bond moved into the Avant Building where Jaeckle’s former offices were located and includes considerable experience in the practices of labor and employment, litigation, employee benefits, intellectual property, public finance, corporate restructuring and creditors’ rights, business and transactions, tax law, trust and estates, and environmental and energy.
- In 2017, Bond opened an office in Saratoga Springs, New York. The city and the surrounding region had become one of the fastest growing business communities in upstate New York. With a growing local client base, and with a number of its attorneys already active in the Saratoga Springs community, Bond made the decision to extend its physical presence into the area.
- In 2018, with the number of major clients growing in and around the Boston area, Bond extended its presence into New England, securing office space in the heart of the Boston Financial District. Bond attorneys may be found in Boston on a regular basis counseling clients on a range of business matters, from the sophisticated landscape of patent prosecution and brand management, to litigation.
- In 2020, the Wolford Law Firm with three lawyers joined the Rochester office adding to our litigation practice.
- In 2021, the 155-year old firm of Putney, Twombly, Hall & Hirson joined Bond. Fifteen attorneys, primarily practicing in management-side labor and employment, as well as in trust and estate, corporate and litigation, joined Bond in its New York City and Garden City offices. The combination also contributed a New Jersey office, further expanding Bond’s Northeast footprint. Also, in October the firm opened an office in Westchester County, making it the firm’s 13th office overall, and ninth in New York State. The addition of a Westchester office was part of the firm’s strategic plan to have a presence in all major metropolitan areas across the state.
- In 2022, the lawyers of Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella & Yedid, a Long Island-based law firm, joined Bond. With this latest combination, Bond added offices in Melville, New York, and West Palm Beach, Florida, bringing our total to 15 offices in five states.
- Also in 2022, Bond celebrated its 125 years anniversary. Learn more here.
- In 2023, Bond opened an office in Elmira, NY to support a growing client base in the Southern Tier, bringing the number of offices to 16 across five states.
