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March of 2009 marked the
beginning of the 172nd Anniversary of our law firm. The
law firm has had a continuity of lawyers practicing
together as a firm in Schenectady County from March 1837
to date. For eight generations, the lawyers of this
firm, past and present, have had the privilege of
serving the legal needs of individuals, families,
businesses and organizations in the Capital Region. Our
law firm is one of the oldest not only in New York
State, but in the entire Nation.Our law firm motto is
Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret. ANot to be
served, but to serve.
The founder of our
firm was David Cady Smith, a graduate of Hartwick
Seminary and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He
studied law under the tutelage of Surrogate Court Judge
Alonzo C. Paige who was a Union College Trustee. David
Cady Smith was admitted to the Bar in 1837. We trace our
history from that date.
Our firm has had a
long-standing relationship with the Schenectady Savings
Bank, now, through a series of name changes and mergers,
Bank of America. David Cady Smith served as attorney for
the bank. He was also a Trustee and eventually President
of the bank during the period 1875 to 1904. He was
joined in the legal practice by his son, Everett Smith,
who, like him, represented the bank and became its
President. Everett Smith=s brother, Gerardus Smith, was
the President of the Schenectady Bank which merged with
and became a part of the Schenectady Trust Company in
June of 1902, currently Trustco Bank. Gerardus Smith was
also the owner of the Schenectady Gazette, currently The
Daily Gazette.
State Senator
Edwin Miller became a partner with Everett Smith in the
practice of law in 1911. Senator Miller=s family owned
the Union Book Company. After Everett Smith died,
Senator Miller took Harold R. Beyerl as a partner in
1921. Harold Beyerl named his only child, Edwin J.
Beyerl, after Senator Edwin Miller. Edwin Beyerl too,
became an attorney and joined the firm in 1956. He
retired in 1987.
At the end of
World War II, Frank S. Higgins joined the firm, followed
in the 1950's by John Van Etten, James P. Houlihan,
Richard E. Roberts and Edwin J. Beyerl. All of them were
partners with Harold R. Beyerl. Robert J. Coan joined
the firm in 1959 and retired in 2002. James H. Erceg
joined the firm in 1964. He retired in 2005 after 41
years with the firm.
In November of
2006, Richard E. Roberts, a distinguished partner in our
firm for approximately 48 years, passed away. Dick
Roberts was a friend, teacher and benevolent partner who
considered it an honor to serve his clients. He was a
model for treating all people with respect, regardless
of their condition or status. He was a Union College
Trustee, Sunnyview Hospital Trustee, and President of
the Sunnyview Hospital Foundation, Inc.
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