To appreciate the Foley Hoag difference, consider our history
Overview
In 1943, Henry Foley and Garrett Hoag shared a vision to revolutionize the culture of the legal profession. At the time, most law firms were exclusionary and rigid, and rewarded conformity rather than innovative thinking. To the contrary, Foley and Hoag realized a firm that valued creative, critical thinking and individual merit would foster broad-based success and evolution. This commitment is the foundation of a high-performing law firm with a long record of success across a wide range of industries.
Combining the best of tradition and innovation, our lawyers practice at the highest strata of the profession and deliver the best level of client service. We evolve and adapt with the law, allowing us to anticipate trends in the law and specific industries.
We value personal relationships with our clients. By blending inspired innovation with face-to-face interactions, we have created a method to approach our work with multifaceted vantage points and, as a result, a high rate of success.
We have established deep roots in the Boston-area entrepreneurial and technological communities. We work closely with these organizations from inception through financing, growth and maturity.
Our distinguished alumni include global business leaders, general counsel of leading companies, a U.S. senator, a U.S. ambassador, accomplished state policy leaders, university presidents and the first African-American partner at a Boston law firm.
We invest in our local and global communities through endeavors such as the Foley Hoag Foundation.
We like to believe that our founders did revolutionize the legal culture. We’re proudly continuing the commitment they made years ago.
From championing our employees to uplifting our communities, we work hard each day to support everyone on our team. We encourage our employees to take advantage of growth opportunities, affinity groups, mentorship programs, culture building events and more.
Our diversity of experiences, backgrounds, locations, viewpoints, and ideas differentiates us as an employer of choice and helps us foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
We have a long history of providing quality legal representation to disadvantaged and disfavored individuals, and groups whose civil rights and liberties are threatened.
Founded as Foley & Hoag, our firm opened its doors in 1943 on the promise of hiring the best lawyers based on individual merit and without exclusion. These twin traditions of excellence and inclusiveness have remained guiding forces in the firm's culture, yielding a high-performing firm with a long record of success and a team of lawyers and specialists delivering the highest level of client service.
1966
Opening of Washington, D.C. Office
Foley Hoag opens its first office outside of Massachusetts in the in the heart of the nation’s capital. Today our Washington, D.C. office is the base for many of the firm’s leading lawyers in its international litigation and arbitration and healthcare law practices, with an additional focus on regulatory and legislative policy matters and global business and human rights.
1960s
Introduction of Pro Bono Program
Founded as the Private Legal Assistance Program, our Pro Bono practice has fought to provide quality legal representation to disadvantaged and disfavored individuals for over 50 years. Early matters involved employment discrimination, prison reform/work release, community racial imbalance, Black business assistance, and racially and economically restrictive zoning.
1970s
Desegregation of Boston Schools
Foley Hoag played an integral role in Boston's early civil rights struggles when the firm successfully represented the plaintiffs in a 1970s federal lawsuit that brought desegregation to Boston Public Schools.
1979
Charles J. Beard, II Named Partner
Charles Beard's promotion to Foley Hoag’s partnership marked the first time a Black lawyer was named a partner by a major Boston law firm. In 2019, Foley Hoag established the Charles J. Beard, II Diversity Fellowship in his honor, which provides funding and a summer associate position at the firm to outstanding first-year law students from backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession.
1980
The Foley Hoag Foundation
The Foley Hoag Foundation was established with fees the firm was awarded in the Boston school desegregation case. Originally created to combat racism in Boston, the Foundation now focuses on funding organizations working to eliminate inequality in each U.S. community in which the firm has an office. Since its inception, the Foley Hoag Foundation has made grants totaling more than $3.8 million.
1989
Sandra Lynch Named Litigation Department Chair
Foley Hoag partner Sandra Lynch was appointed chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, becoming the first woman to lead a major department in a Boston Law firm. Sandy would later be appointed by President Clinton as the first female federal appeals court judge for the First Circuit Court of Appeals, eventually becoming the chief judge of the Court.
2002
Move to Boston's Innovation District
Foley Hoag is one of the first companies to move to Boston's Seaport District. Today, our office is embedded in a thriving community of innovation and brings us close to leading companies across the life sciences, technology and energy sectors.
2011
Opening of Paris Office
The firm opens its Paris office, establishing a foothold in Europe. Today, attorneys in our Paris office are highly regarded in France in the fields of international arbitration and litigation; environmental and energy law; public law and corporate law.
2015
Opening of New York Office
Foley Hoag opens an office in New York City, the center of global business and industry. Since its opening, the office has grown to handle the full spectrum of legal services, including corporate, intellectual property, international dispute resolution and litigation across industry sectors.
2023
Opening of Denver Office
Foley Hoag expands west with the opening of its Denver office, providing a physical base outside the U.S. Northeast Corridor and an increased capability to serve clients in the western part of the country.
2023
Looking Forward
As Foley Hoag celebrates its 80th anniversary, we thank our clients for their trust and support through the years. and our lawyers and business service professionals for maintaining our core values of excellence, service ethic, collegiality and inclusivity. We look forward to what’s ahead.
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