Aboutiquebuiltforthemattersthatmatter.
Fewer than forty lawyers. Two offices. Sixty-two years. A practice deliberately kept small enough that every partner knows every matter, and every client knows their lawyer.
Todelivercounselthatisworthwhatitcosts—andtochargeaccordingly.
We exist for the moments when a result truly matters: the indictment, the bet-the-company deal, the regulatory inquiry, the inheritance dispute that will define a family for generations.
In those moments, leverage is not a virtue. Speed is. Judgment is. And the certainty that the most experienced lawyer in the room is the one returning your call.
Ahistorywrittenbyclients.
Founding in lower Manhattan
Eleanor Ashford and James Vale open a two-attorney practice on Vesey Street with a single conviction: try every case as if the verdict matters.
First landmark trial victory
A defining defense verdict in the federal securities trial of the decade establishes the firm's trial reputation.
London office opens
Cross-border corporate practice launches at Old Bailey, serving European principals in U.S. matters.
Crisis-era counsel
The firm represents seven institutions through the financial crisis without a single regulatory enforcement action against a client.
Private wealth practice formalized
A dedicated group is created to serve families, founders, and family offices in succession and disputes.
Sixty-second year
The firm remains deliberately small — fewer than forty lawyers, every matter staffed by a partner.
Fourconvictions.Heldwithoutexception.
Judgment over volume
We turn down more matters than we take. The ones we take, we win.
Privilege, absolute
Discretion isn't a marketing line. It's the practice.
Craft over scale
Senior lawyers do the work. Always. Without exception.
Outcomes that endure
A verdict, deal, or settlement that holds up a decade later.