The Formation of Smith Duggan Cornell & Gollub LLP

Two premier law firms, Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP and Cornell & Gollub, have combined practices. As of February 2023, they are now known as Smith Duggan Cornell & Gollub LLP.

The new firm’s downtown Boston office is at 101 Arch Street, Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, while its location on the Route 128/I-95 belt remains at 55 Old Bedford Road, Suite 300, Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773.

"I have known and respected Pete Durney and his firm for many years. We are excited to be able to bring together our extensive experience and success in litigating difficult product liability cases and complex commercial disputes in one firm,” said founding partner Christopher A. Duggan.

"Chris Duggan is one of the foremost trial and appellate advocates in the Commonwealth. His colleagues are leaders in their respective fields such as real estate, health care and travel. I am delighted that this new, larger law firm can offer a wider array of services and greater depth,” added partner Peter M. Durney.

Both firms have represented a large number of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, leading insurance carriers, family businesses, and individuals.

Mr. Durney also joins such highly regarded practitioners as Barbara Hayes Buell (health care), Rodney E. Gould (travel law), Paul Alan Rufo (civil litigation and real estate), Andrew P. Stempler (real estate), Matthew J. Walko (civil litigation and insurance coverage), and Dana A. Zakarian (business litigation).

In addition to Mr. Durney, four other Cornell & Gollub attorneys have joined the new firm: Patricia A. Hartnett, James P. Kerr, Christopher J. Hurst, and Steven D. Procopio.

About Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP Christopher A. Duggan and Scott A. Smith founded Smith & Duggan in 1989. As Smith & Duggan LLP, the firm developed a reputation for excellence especially in trial and appellate advocacy and business litigation. Barbara Hayes Buell joined the practice in 2009 to expand the firm’s capabilities in health care. The firm’s name changed in 2011 to Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP when Paul Rufo and Andrew Stempler joined to offer a broad range of litigation and commercial real estate services, while in 2016 a travel law practice was added when partner Rodney E. Gould joined the firm.

About Cornell & Gollub Cornell & Gollub was founded by Robert W. Cornell in 1964, specializing in the then-emerging fields of product liability and medical malpractice, as well as other areas of technical litigation. A leading trial attorney in the defense bar, Mr. Cornell was joined by Karl L. Gollub, who tried numerous cases, including the landmark product liability case of Back v. Wickes, cited in hundreds of subsequent decisions. Cornell & Gollub continued to defend major civil cases in product liability, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, consumer protection, insurance, general liability, mass tort, class actions, and commercial litigation. Peter M. Durney became a partner in 1987.

About Smith Duggan Cornell & Gollub LLP The two firms combined practices in February 2023 to further a tradition of excellence in litigation, in trial and advocacy, commercial transactions, product liability, aviation, insurance coverage, real estate law, constitutional law, travel law, health care law, family law, trusts and estates, and many other areas of civil practice. The combined firm brings together decades of superior client service in some of the most complex cases and commercial transactions. For more information, see www.smithduggan.com