History

If you want to understand Foley Hoag and our personality, take a look at our history. We were started in 1943 by two extraordinarily diverse individuals. These fellows, Henry Foley and Garrett Hoag, wanted to practice great law, but also wanted to serve clients in new and evolving areas not traditionally embraced by the mainstream firms. We’ve held true to our roots.

Our distinguished alumni include global business leaders, general counsel of leading companies, U.S. Senators, accomplished state policy leaders, university presidents, and the first African-American partner to be named to a Boston law firm.

Yet the firm’s evolving history, perhaps, can best be measured in the accolades afforded us by the marketplace that we serve and as a result of our commitment to the communities in which we live and work. Here are some of the recent accolades of which we are especially proud:

  • Chambers USA: The Client’s Guide cited 11 Foley Hoag practice and 22 individual lawyers in its 2007 “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.”
  • Individual lawyers practicing across many Foley Hoag service areas have also been ranked by leading publications such as PLC: Which Lawyer? and The Legal 500, in addition to citations in several industry-specific and legal publications.
  • We were honored with the National Exemplar Award at the 2007 National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s (NLADA) annual meeting for our representation of a Guantanamo detainee.
  • We are consistently ranked in the top quartile in The American Lawyer’s “A-list” for our pro bono work.
  • The American Lawyer also ranks Foley Hoag among the 100 Best Places to Work in its annual “The Associates Survey.”
  • Multicultural Law magazine cites Foley Hoag among its Top 100 firms for diversity.   

Today, Foley Hoag consists of more than 250 lawyers based in offices in Boston’s emerging Seaport District, in the heart of the Washington, D.C. business district, and at the firm’s Emerging Enterprise Center located in Waltham, MA in the heart of the Route 128 “Technology Corridor." From these locations, we serve clients across the country and around the world.