Connell Foley LLP was established in 1938 by Edward Duggan and Robert Shaw, the latter a highly regarded trial and appellate lawyer who was named to the federal bench in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy.
The firm’s first era of expansion occurred after World War II, when John A. (“Jack”) Pindar returned to civilian life and joined the firm. Regarded as one of New Jersey’s finest trial lawyers, Jack was central to shaping a firm culture based on integrity, legal acumen and teamwork.
The firm's stable of top lawyers grew throughout the 1950s with the addition of elite talents from New Jersey’s legal and political community. With a focus on litigation and insurance, George (“Walt”) Connell joined the firm and was appointed to the commission charged with examining New Jersey’s automobile insurance system, where he contributed to the development of today’s no-fault law. William T. (“Bill”) McElroy joined in 1950 and enjoyed a celebrated career at Connell Foley, leading to his appointment to New Jersey’s Superior Court bench and then to the Appellate Division.
Adrian (“Bud”) Foley Jr. joined the firm after serving as Essex County Surrogate from 1954-1958, one of several influential positions (including president of the New Jersey Bar Association, state delegate and member of the Board of Governors of the ABA) he held over a career spanning six decades. He and Bill McElroy would join Jack Pindar as early Fellows of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.
By the 1960s, Connell Foley had established a reputation in litigation that owed much to Jack Pindar’s early vision. Shortly after Jack’s passing in 1969, Richard J. Hughes joined the firm following his second term as Governor of the State of New Jersey. In 1973, Governor Hughes was appointed as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Having outgrown its office space in Newark, Connell Foley moved its headquarters to Roseland in 1986. With a vision for being where our clients needed us — and where we foresaw opportunities for growth — the firm subsequently opened offices in Jersey City, New York, Cherry Hill and Philadelphia. In 2016, the firm also opened another office in Newark. And in June 2017, after 30 years in its Roseland office, Connell Foley relocated its headquarters to a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced new space just up the road in Roseland.
The firm’s early concentration on insurance has now evolved into a multifaceted litigation and transactional practice. Today, the firm is known for its work across both established and emerging areas of law.
Faced with an increasingly complex legal environment where overlapping federal, state and municipal laws create substantial challenges for businesses, we continue to stress the values of teamwork, integrity and excellence in the practice of law. As in our earliest days, our focus is on building lasting relationships with clients and crafting solutions to meet their pressing legal needs.