Foley Hoag LLP

Hailing from the land of the Red Sox and chowder, Foley Hoag stays close to its Boston roots but has expanded to four additional locations: New York, DC, Denver, and Paris. Although the firm is smaller than many of its BigLaw competitors, Foley Hoag has made a name for itself through its strong practice and progressive history.

A Diverse Foundation

Foley Hoag was founded during World War II when Henry Foley and Garrett Hoag set up shop in Boston in 1943. As the firm grew, so did its commitment to diversity. In 1979, the late Charles J. Beard II of Foley Hoag became the first African-American partner of a Boston law firm. Beard specialized in cable television regulation and business law and served for many years on the firm’s Hiring Committee and as the firm’s marketing partner. In 1980, The Foley Hoag Foundation was launched as the first foundation established to focus exclusively on the improvement of race relations in Boston. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $3.8 million in grants to more than 450 organizations. The Foundation’s mission has recently broadened to support programs addressing various forms of inequality, including racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in Greater Boston, New York City, and metropolitan Washington, DC.

Innovating in Beantown

Foley Hoag works across dozens of practice areas, including bankruptcy, corporate, energy, environmental law, intellectual property, international litigation and arbitration, and litigation. The firm has a strong environmental law practice, which involves counseling on hazardous waste issues, industrial and mining projects, recycling strategies, renewable energy matters, and waste management and advising on regulatory matters. 

Its International Arbitration practice is another highlight. The firm’s lawyers use their understanding of arbitration laws across the globe to advise clients in a host of industries, such as banking and financial services, construction, cyber security, employment, gas pricing, IP licensing, joint venture projects, and telecommunications.

The firm is also well-known for its entrepreneurial services practice. Its Boston headquarters is located in the Seaport District—also known as the “innovation district” and the center of the region’s emerging companies and venture capital communities.

Pro Bono Presence

Foley Hoag’s pro bono program has been a centerpiece of the firm since its representation of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the desegregation of Boston public schools in the 1970s. On average, pro bono projects constitute approximately 3.6% of the firm’s work, and firm attorneys in its U.S. offices regularly average more than 55 hours of pro bono annually; this leads to more than 20,000 pro bono hours firmwide—all of which count toward that all-important billable hour requirement. Foley Hoag’s pro bono projects cover a wide range of topics including political asylum, civil rights, and fair housing.

• Won unanimous ruling from Federal Circuit for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, affirming district court’s decision adding a Dana-Farber inventor to patents covering cancer treatments licensed to Bristol-Myers Squibb.

   

• Filed two friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of different organizations before the U.S. Supreme Court in Idaho v. United States to protect public health and uphold the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

   

• Successfully counseled Vineyard Offshore with respect to a broad array of issues associated with the first federally permitted 800MW offshore wind project in the U.S.

   

• Played integral role in Boston's civil rights struggles when representing plaintiffs in 1970s federal lawsuit (Morgan vs. Hennigan) bringing desegregation to Boston Public Schools. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of this decision.

• Partner in Justice Award, by CJA, 2024

   

• Best Companies to Work For: Law Firms, by U.S. News & World Report, 2024

   

• Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, by Human Rights Campaign, 2023

   

• Best Company for Women and People of Color to Advance, by Parity.Org, 2023

   

• Pulse Leaderboard of Top Firms in U.S., by Law360, 2023