Local attorney Timothy Foley recently welcomed Benjamin Hirshfield as an associate to his law practice, The Foley Law Firm, LLC, which has offices in Old Forge and New Hartford.
Hirshfield, whose family roots run deep in the Old Forge area, grew up in Clinton. As a child, he and his brother spent summers in Old Forge with their parents, Joanne and Stuart Hirshfield and grandparents, Judy and the late Howard Slater. They also spent winter weekends skiing at McCauley Mountain.
Hirshfield and his wife, Leanne, both graduates of Clinton High School and Hamilton College, spent their post graduate years in Manhattan and Colorado before settling in the Boston area where he pursued his law degree at Northeastern University, and she, her masters in technology at Tufts.
Ben ultimately took a job with the district attorney’s office in Boston where he practiced criminal law for the last three years.
With both of their families back in Clinton, the couple returned to the area whenever they could to socialize with family and friends. Among those friends was Tim Foley, a longtime pal of Ben’s mother.
“Whenever Tim and I would get together he would offer me advice and give a broad view of the legal landscape of the area. It was always our plan (he and his wife) to move back closer to family, but it wasn’t easy to find jobs in our professions,” he said.
With the birth of their daughter, Annie, four years ago, the Hirshfields’ longed more than ever to live closer to their parents.
And that dream came true in the past year when Leanne took a professor position at the Newhouse School of Communi-cations at Syracuse University.
Upon their return to Clinton, Ben resumed conversations with Foley, who was ready to take the step of adding him as an associate to help him balance his Old Forge and New Hartford offices.
“Ben is a perfect fit. For one, he is enthusiastic about the practice of law, and two, he wants to become part of this community. With those connections, it made a lot of sense to bring him on as an associate,” Foley said.
Hirshfield’s background in criminal law melds well with Foley’s civil law expertise, said Patty Foley, Tim’s wife and office paralegal.
“Litigation is Ben’s background, and he brings his experience in working with judges and juries due to his work in the DA’s office. He also brings a lot more tech expertise—which certainly is a great addition to the firm,” she said.
“Tim and I would refer to law books, but with a click of the mouse, Ben can find what we’re looking for.”
Hirshfield, who was a tech major in his undergraduate years, has also designed the firm’s new website, CentralNewYorkLaw.com.
Hirshfield currently splits his time between the two offices, three days locally and two in New Hartford.
But on weekends you can find him and his family on the slopes of McCauley Mountain or simply enjoying life in Old Forge.
“I know a lot of people who, like us, grew up in the area and want their kids to have the same great experiences they did. We feel lucky to have made it happen,” he said.