Our Heritage

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=19.25% BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brown Kelly, LLP"><U>Home</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Our Heritage</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Attorneys"><U>Our Attorneys</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Practice Groups"><U>Practice Groups</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clients Rights"><U>Client's Rights</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="563" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 132 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brown Kelly, LLP"><U><B> <IMG SRC="1730e7f0.jpg" border=0 ALT="Home" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="270" height="127"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Our Heritage</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1013a030.gif" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="570" height="3"></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="577" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1011 WIDTH="577"><div> Established in 1924, Brown & Kelly, LLP - originally known as Rann, Vaughan, Brown & Sturtevant - has a rich heritage deeply rooted in the Buffalo community.</div> <bR> <div> The original partners of the firm were William S. Rann, Raymond C. Vaughan, Franklin R. Brown and Howard R. Sturtevant.  The original associates were J. Edmund Kelly, Mark N. Turner, Noel S. Symons, Edmiston Hagmeier, Lyle A. Findlay and John E. Durkin.</div> <bR> <div> The partners and associates came from varied backgrounds.  Mr. Rann was a former corporation counsel for the City of Buffalo and Mr. Brown had his own practice.  Messrs. Vaughan, Kelly, Sturtevant, Turner and Findlay came from the firm of Locke, Babcock, Spratt and Hollister, which can trace its lineage back to former presidents Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland.</div> <bR> <div> It was the prosperous railroad industry, however, that brought these individuals together.  During the early 1920s, Buffalo was the second largest rail center in the United States.  At this time, Mr. Vaughan handled the legal matters of the New York Central Railroad, as well as a substantial amount of work for Buffalo’s street car company, the International Railway Corp.  Messrs. Vaughan and Brown joined forces with Messrs. Kelly, Sturtevant, Turner and Findlay because of their related experience with New York Central.  Mr. Rann, who had established helpful government connections through his past service with the City of Buffalo, also complemented the group.</div> <bR> <div> The firm originally set up offices in the Marine Trust Building at Main and Seneca, but shortly afterward moved to the 18<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#006633" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> floor of the Liberty Bank Building.  The firm remained there until the early 1930s, and then relocated to the M&T Bank Building at the corner of Main and Swan.  In May of 1989, Brown & Kelly moved to its present offices at 1500 Liberty Building.</div> <bR> <div> Since 1924, the firm has undergone many name changes.  In the mid 1930s, when Mr. Vaughan became a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, the name changed to Rann, Brown, Sturtevant & Kelly.  In the early 1940s, after the death of Mr. Rann, the firm was then called Brown, Kelly, Turner and Symons.  In the late 1950s when Judge Vaughan retired from the bench and returned to the firm, the name became Vaughan, Brown, Kelly, Turner & Symons.</div> <bR> <div> The next change occurred following the deaths of former Judge Vaughan and Noel Symons.  The name became Brown, Kelly, Turner, Hassett & Leach.  Then, on July 1, 1986, the firm adopted its present name:  Brown & Kelly.  Two years later, to further meet the needs of its clients, Brown & Kelly merged with the firm Harrington & Klaasesz, but retained the Brown & Kelly name.</div> <bR> <div> Today, Brown & Kelly’s connection to the past is still strong.  Ogden R. Brown, counsel; <A HREF="id19_thomas_j__kelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys FL"><U>Thomas J. Kelly</U></A>, partner; and <A HREF="id21_fredrick_d__turner.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys SZ"><U>Frederick D. Turner</U></A>, partner; are sons of founding attorneys.  <A HREF="id19_paul_michael_hassett.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys FL"><U>Paul Michael Hassett</U></A>, managing partner, is the son of the late Paul M. Hassett, who joined the firm in 1933.  He is also the nephew of the late William D. Hassett, who became a member of the firm in the late 1920s.</div> <bR> <div> Brown & Kelly has always been active in the legal community.  Franklin R. Brown was a past president of the New York State Bar Association and John E. Leach was president elect at the same time of his death in 1974.  <A HREF="id19_paul_michael_hassett.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys FL"><U>Paul Michael Hassett</U></A> is the immediate past president of the New York State Bar Association.  Franklin R. Brown, Paul M. Hassett, John E. Leach, <A HREF="id19_paul_michael_hassett.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys FL"><U>Paul Michael Hassett</U></A> and <A HREF="id18_donald_b__eppers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys AE"><U>Donald B. Eppers</U></A> served as presidents of the Bar Association of Erie County. </div> <bR> <div> Many members of the firm have also held positions in local government.  <A HREF="id19_thomas_j__kelly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys FL"><U>Thomas Kelly</U></A> was a member of the town board of the Town of Tonawanda for 24 years, its deputy supervisor for 10 years and was twice its acting supervisor.  He also acted as special town attorney for Town of Tonawanda in connection with the cleanup of a nuclear waste site.</div> <bR> <div> Ogden R. Brown was a judge for the Town of Orchard Park and also served as its town attorney. <A HREF="id21_william_p__wiles.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attorneys SZ"><U>William P. Wiles</U></A>, partner, is the former town attorney for the Town of Grand Island and Thomas I. McElvein, Jr., who is associated with the firm, is attorney for the Village of Akron.  J. Edmund Kelly was a longtime member of the City of Buffalo Planning Board and Roland R. Benzow, former counsel to the firm, was a member of the City of Buffalo Common Council and long-standing member of the Buffalo and Erie County Library Board.</div> <bR> <div> For over 75 years, Brown & Kelly has been serving the community of Western New York, and has been actively involved in professional and civic activities.  It is a tradition of commitment and service we are proud to continue into the future.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1023a030.gif" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="570" height="3"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id2_m.htm" TITLE="Our Heritage"><U>Back to Top</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1033a030.gif" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="570" height="3"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> © 2003, Brown & Kelly, LLP</div> <div> WebSite Designer:  <A HREF="mailto:lkretz@brownkelly.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:lkretz@brownkelly.com"><U>L.M.Kretz</U></A></div> <div> All Rights Reserved</div> </td> <td valign="top" width=3.125% BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2_m.htm" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Our Heritage"><U> <IMG SRC="12c19230.gif" border=0 ALT="To Top of Page" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="25" height="35"></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>