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“City’s oldest law firm moving from Main Street to 101A ‘glass tower’”

On Behalf of | May 30, 2014 | Firm News

Nashua Telegraph Friday, May 30, 2014

City’s oldest law firm moving from Main Street to 101A ‘glass tower’

By DAVID BROOKS Staff Writer

NASHUA – The city’s oldest law firm is moving away from its imposing presence in a former bank on Main Street, lured by better access, high-tech fixtures and parking at the “glass tower” of Trafalgar Square on Amherst Street.

“This building is beautiful, and downtown is a wonderful area,” said J. Daniel Marr, a director at Hamblett & Kerrigan Law Firm, about the firm’s current home in the former Indian Head Bank, 146 Main St. “But 101A is an exciting area to be in, right now.”

The move is made easier, he said, because the old days of legal clients walking in the front door after seeing a big stately sign has largely disappeared.

“Even those people that would historically be walk-in traffic, such as somebody with a personal injury or the like – they’re more than likely to send an email,” said Marr, who is also a columnist for The Telegraph. “People seem to get connected with us by word of mouth and the Internet, or research on smart phones, tablets or computers.”

As an example, the first floor of the firm’s current office has an elegant lobby with a huge wall lined with legal books – but the books are never opened, having long ago been replaced by electronic documents.

The firm, with seven attorneys and about 20 total employees, will move in August, Marr said. They are the only tenant in the building, which is owned by a real estate investment trust.

Another imposing bank building on Main Street, the former Nashua Trust Co. at 194 Main St., has been the Villa Banca restaurant for 17 years.

Hamblett & Kerrigan was founded in 1889, and over the years, has occupied many buildings in and around downtown Nashua, under many partners’ names. Neither a Hamblett nor a Kerrigan practices there any more, but changing law firm’s names is complicated; it’s not uncommon for a firm to keep past partners’ names after they have retired or left.

Marr said 20 Trafalgar Square, built in 1998, offered more modern amenities and “easy on and off access to clients,” as well as better parking than downtown.

But the lawyers and others still will visit downtown frequently, he noted, since the registry of deeds and county courthouse are close to their current home.

David Brooks can be reached at 594-6531 or dbrooks@nashua telegraph.com. Also, follow Brooks on Twitter (@GraniteGeek).

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