About 100 years ago, a reporter asked the famed bank robber, Willie Sutton, why he robbed banks. His quintessential reply was simple and direct. “That’s where the money is.” The Sutton Principle, which essentially is, “When you have a problem, look to the most obvious solution first,” has endured and in October of 2021, when Bond, Schoeneck & King (Bond), needed more space for its New York City office, the solution became opening a Westchester office in White Plains, because, as Sutton might have put it, “That’s where the business is.”
Bond is a full-service law firm of 300+ attorneys. Headquartered in Syracuse, Bond has 11 offices located throughout New York State, in Naples, Florida, Boston, New Jersey and Overland Park, Kansas. Over its more than 135 years, Bond has built an outstanding reputation for its representation of all types of businesses with a focus on business, construction, and higher education institutions. Several of its practice areas, including labor and employment and higher education, have national reputations.
In 2004, attorney Lou DiLorenzo, along with several attorneys from two former labor and employment boutiques, led Bond’s expansion downstate, opening offices in Garden City and Midtown Manhattan. These offices now total more than 70 attorneys. But that is getting a bit ahead of the story.
During COVID, while addressing the many challenges of the pandemic, Bond also looked to focus on the opportunities it presented. While the world was zooming from home in their most comfortable clothing, Bond’s Labor and Employment Group identified and executed three major projects to grow its practice.
Bond first created a weekly webinar series, “Bond for Business.” The intent was to update clients and prospects with timely COVID developments. At its height, the series drew well over 1,000 subscribers. To this day, it continues to exceed audience expectations, addressing pertinent topics of interest to businesses in New York and elsewhere.
The second project was the publication (through the New York State Bar Association) of what is regarded as the leading treatise on New York Employment Law, a 450-page explanation of the complexities and nuances of New York Employment Law. Work has already begun on a second edition, due in 2025.
The third item on the agenda was the firm’s combination with the well-known and highly respected 150 year old labor and employment boutique firm of Putney, Twombley, Hall & Hirson LLP in March of 2021. As Putney’s managing member Dan Murphy and the other Putney attorneys joined our Midtown office, an expansion became necessary. This presented the perfect opportunity to open a Westchester office in White Plains.
The reasons were simple. Westchester is home to over a million people and is the county that contains the greatest number of communities ranked in the top 200 wealthiest communities in the United States. It is also home to numerous Fortune 500 and middle market companies, major hospitals and health care systems, manufacturing facilities, construction companies, and hospitality venues, not to mention 118 private schools, 40 public schools, 14 colleges, 38 public libraries, 19 towns, 23 villages, and 41 long term care facilities. Bond has represented significant Westchester clients in each of these categories and more. Existing clients welcomed having their attorneys close to them and potential clients have been given an opportunity to see what they were missing.
Bond attorneys living in Westchester or northern New Jersey jumped at the chance to work in White Plains over a daily commute to Midtown. That said, from White Plains, Bond’s New York City office is a short, 35-minute train ride to Grand Central Station and from there, a two-block walk to the Midtown office. Bond attorneys in Westchester regularly represent clients and work on matters involving our New York City office and New York City clients.
Additionally, Bond’s Albany office has the leading labor and employment practice in its geographic area and represents significant clients throughout the Hudson Valley, particularly in Poughkeepsie. Likewise, Bond’s Westchester office represents labor and employment clients in Westchester and its adjoining counties. As a result, the firm is uniquely positioned to represent clients up and down and east and west of the Hudson River.
The convenience of a Westchester location extends to the New York City and federal Courts of the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Westchester is its own market as well, with its own Judges and Regulatory offices. Bond’s first-class litigation practice often serves as local counsel for out-of-state and out-of-country law firms. Bond previously did not receive referrals for litigation work in Westchester since it lacked an office there. It does now.
Even though Bond doesn’t generally look to bank robbers for inspiration, Willie Sutton was right. The best solution to any challenge is more often than not the simplest and most direct. Westchester’s business community offered Bond the perfect and simple solution to its challenge to grow, just as the Bond office can offer the Westchester business community solutions for growing and managing its issues. The firm feels at home with Westchester’s business and education communities, and looks forward to furthering its contributions as a member of the community.
Louis P. DiLorenzo is managing member, Westchester Office, co-managing member New York City Office and chair of the Labor & Employment, Employee Benefits & Immigration Practice Group at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC in White Plains.
