🔒Bowditch to merge with Boston law firm

Longtime Worcester law firm Bowditch & Dewey has announced a planned merger with Boston-based Kenney & Sams, creating a combined firm with a footprint across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The merger, effective Jan. 1, will see the newly merged firm operate under the Bowditch & Dewey name, with offices in Worcester, Boston, Framingham, Plymouth, and Providence, according to a press release issued by the two firms on Thursday.

“Since we had folks depart in 2024, it has been a priority for us to add more attorneys, particularly in our litigation group," Bowditch Managing Partner John Shoro said in an interview with WBJ. In 2024, Based-based Prince Lobel opened a Worcester office, hiring longtime Bowditch lawyer Michael Angelini and other major Bowditch legal minds in the process, including a significant portion of Bowditch's litigation department. Since that time, Bowditch has been looking to make an acquisition in order to enhance its litigation department, Shoro said. The Bowditch leadership team liked Kenney & Sams work in the litigation area, particularly in the court systems in Boston, plus the firm already had a presence in MetroWest. "We're thrilled with the outcome," Shoro said. Michael Sams and Chris Kenney, co-founders and shareholders at Kenney & Sams, will become equity partners at the newly merged firm and will be co-practice leaders in its litigation department.  "It is the perfect match," said Kenney. "Our practices will be really complementary to each other." Kenney & Sams is a 20-year-old boutique civil trial law and risk management firm. The firm has 21 attorneys on-staff, according to the staff page of its website.  "Initially, we were flattered that they were interested in us," Sams said. "The more we looked at it, when you look at the [talent and expertise] depth we have and Bowditch has, we really complement each other." The law firms' leadership teams initially met at Stephen Anthony's Restaurant in Marlborough to hammer out the details of the merger. Founded in 1914, Bowditch has long been a key component of the Central Massachusetts legal scene.  Prior to the merger, Bowditch has 40 local attorneys, according to data provided to the WBJ Research Department, making it the second largest law firm in Central Massachusetts. It trails only Worcester-based Mirick, which has 69 local attorneys.  After the merger is complete, the combined Bowditch entity will have more than 70 attorneys across the five offices, Shoro said. "Onward and upward for the combined entity," Kenney said. Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries. WBJ Editor Brad Kane contributed to this article.