READING – The law firm of Stevens and Lee Ltd. has acquired the Providence, R.I.-based Duffy and Sweeney. The addition of Duffy and Sweeney is Stevens and Lee’s 16th office and represents a gateway to New England.
The strategic move will allow Reading-based Stevens and Lee to serve a new market for legal services and continue to recruit high-end legal talent in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, William P. Thornton, Stevens and Lee president and CEO, said in an emailed response to questions.
The new office will be known as Duffy and Sweeney, a division of Stevens and Lee.
“Duffy and Sweeney has an excellent reputation as a top-tier New England transaction and litigation boutique,” Thornton said in a statement. “They are entrepreneurial, have a business-minded approach to the practice of law, and a culture of client service and teamwork that mirrors our own.”
The transaction was effective June 1, but Thornton said discussions with the firm started in early July and included multiple meetings in Boston, Providence and Philadelphia.
“Over the ensuing 11 months, we learned that Duffy and Sweeney has high quality lawyers, a necessary starting point when we consider expansion,” Thornton said in his response. “They also share a similar culture through their commitment to understanding their clients’ business and industry, delivering superior client service, and caring about their clients’ success.”
Duffy and Sweeney is a 16-attorney corporate, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), litigation and real estate firm that provides relationship-driven service to middle market and larger companies. The firm represents clients throughout New England, New York and across the country.
“Given Duffy and Sweeney’s active M&A practice, we are a natural fit for them as we have all of the necessary deal supporting expertise, including tax, intellectual property, environmental, labor, employment, employee benefits, executive compensation and immigration,” Thornton said.
He added that the new Providence office will allow the firm to bring high-end health care, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), real estate and higher education services to New England.
“Our clients and our people are at the heart of every decision we make,” Michael F. Sweeney, Duffy and Sweeney founding partner and shareholder, said in a statement. “For 30 years, Duffy and Sweeney has been a trusted Rhode Island and southern New England institution, and this merger with Stevens and Lee ensures we have the platform, resources and reach to continue to provide exceptional service to our clients for many years to come.”
“As our practice continues to expand in New England and beyond as a division of Stevens and Lee, we’re pleased to have found a trusted partner who shares our commitment to strategic growth and to sustaining the outstanding culture we have built with our team,” Robert M. Duffy, Duffy and Sweeney founding partner and shareholder, said in a statement.
Sweeney and Duffy will serve as co-chairs of Stevens and Lee New England.
In 2021, Stevens and Lee opened its investment banking office in Boston for its affiliate Griffin Financial Group, and Thornton said the firm views southern New England as fertile ground for attracting clients that need the high-end corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation services offered by Stevens and Lee.
“The leadership at Duffy and Sweeney has built a strong stable of clients and has deep ties to the business communities in Providence, Boston and Southern New England. They also have a business-minded approach to the practice of law and a strong commitment to service in their communities,” Thornton added.
Over the past five years, Stevens and Lee has been executing a strategic plan for growth, actively seeking top legal talent in New Jersey, New York, New England and Pennsylvania, Thornton said. Since Jan. 1, 2020, the firm has recruited more than 90 attorneys and 30 business professionals to its platform.
Stevens and Lee has more than 200 attorneys and 16 offices across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Florida and Rhode Island. The firm has service experience in health care, executive compensation and employee benefits, bankruptcy, labor and employment to supplement Duffy and Sweeney’s core services, as well as additional depth in intellectual property and trust and estate matters.
