Firm News

Fifty Years with Hollis Laidlaw & Simon: Evolution Rooted in Excellence

When Stu Shamberg incorporated our law firm in 1972, concentrating the practice in land use & zoning law, he couldn’t have imagined that 50 years later, the firm would grow to include a new generation of talented lawyers, robust practice areas like trusts & estates, expanded practices in land use & zoning, corporate, real estate, litigation & dispute resolution, guardianship, and employment, and hundreds of loyal clients from all over Westchester and neighboring counties, as well nearby states, Connecticut and New Jersey.  

But today, Hollis Laidlaw & Simon has evolved into a thriving full-service firm, due in no small part to what our founders established those 50 years ago: a commitment to excellence.

“Stu had a tremendous reputation, which served as the foundation for us to grow and grow and be burnished by all the successful cases that we’ve had through the years,” said Partner Dan Hollis, who joined the firm in 1990 and bridges the gap between the days of Stu Shamberg and retired Partner John Marwell, and today’s other named partners Moira Laidlaw and David Simon. 

One of our most booming practice areas, trusts & estates, has certainly benefited from that foundation. Laidlaw, who heads the practice, said, “We recognized pretty quickly after I joined the firm in 2014 what synergies there were between the firm’s phenomenal litigation & land use practice and my trusts & estates experience.”

Now the trusts & estates practice is nine lawyers and eight staff strong, helping over 300 families a year. “It’s like a little success story,” Laidlaw said humbly.

The trusts & estates practice includes estate planning and administration, and also covers high-net-worth tax planning, guardianship, and Medicaid asset protection. 

The firm further evolved with the addition in 2018 of Managing Partner Simon, who bolstered the firm’s corporate and litigation practices. “Dave was an amazing find,” said Laidlaw. “He is a crazy throwback jack-of-all-trades because he’s amazingly good at corporate governance, commercial litigation, real estate litigation, guardianship litigation, and employment law. No one practices like that anymore. Lawyers who specialize are not always equipped to evaluate complex issues where multiple practice areas intersect. This is where Dave’s multidisciplinary experience proves to be invaluable for our clients.”  

While we have developed into a full-service firm, our long-standing relationships in the community have remained strong. “The people we deal with know our reputation,” Simon said. “We’re well-known and respected in the courts in which we practice and by the planning and zoning boards whom we appear before, because Stu, John, and Dan set a very high standard that the firm remains committed to upholding.” 

Through all the uncertainties of the last half-century, one thing has remained constant: our dedication to finding solutions to our clients’ legal needs. “We built this firm on the foundation of excellence and on our devotion to our clients,” said Hollis. “That was our commitment 50 years ago and will remain our commitment long into the future.” We look forward to serving our clients for the next 50 years.

December 21, 2021 — Hollis Laidlaw & Simon is delighted to announce that Bridget Eichinger has been named partner. Since joining the firm in 2017, Bridget has become an integral part of our Trusts & Estates practice. Individuals and couples turn to her for estate planning documents, and trustees and executors seek her assistance administering their loved ones’ estates. In addition to her depth of knowledge, Bridget is known for the compassion she brings to her work and her ability to guide clients through the estate planning and administration processes with ease.

“We congratulate Bridget on her well-earned and well-deserved promotion to partner,” said Moira Laidlaw, leader of the firm’s Trusts & Estates team. “She is a trusted counselor to her clients and is highly thought of by clients and colleagues.”