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Bacon Wilson to Integrate Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll

HOLYOKE — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced the collaboration and integration of Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll, Attorneys at Law, into the firm. For nearly a century, Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll has been recognized throughout Western Mass. for civil litigation, estates and probate, real estate, and municipal law. Established in 1929, the firm built a distinguished reputation not only for its legal expertise, but also for its deep commitment to the communities it served. The firm’s legacy includes notable legal and civic leadership. George Beauregard joined Samuel Resnic following his service in World War II and later became a senior partner of the firm. In 1958, he was appointed special justice of the Holyoke District Court, becoming the youngest judge in Massachusetts at just 33 years old. In addition to their professional accomplishments, the attorneys of Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll have long been admired for their philanthropic and civic involvement. The firm maintained a strong presence within the community, with its partners serving in numerous leadership and volunteer roles, including with the local Boys and Girls Club and the Hampden County and Hampshire County bar associations. Bacon Wilson, P.C. provides comprehensive legal services to individuals, families, businesses, and municipalities throughout the region. With roots dating back more than 130 years, the firm remains committed to delivering exceptional legal counsel and community-focused service across the Pioneer Valley.

The Hive Collective Opens in Downtown Amherst

AMHERST — On May 29, the Hive Collective — a new, multi-functional creative hub dedicated to increasing arts participation and cultural access in downtown Amherst — officially opened its doors at 49 Boltwood Walk with a grand opening celebration. Bringing together an arts market, gallery, and maker space under one roof, the Hive Collective is designed to be a place where local artists, makers, and educators can connect, create, and share their work with the community. A collaboration between the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID), Amherst Innovative Living, and the Amherst Center Cultural District, the space will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 2 to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Hive Collective is seeking local artisans and makers of all crafts, including woodworking, painting, pottery, knitwear, and more, to join the collective ahead of opening day. For more information or if interested in getting involved, email Andrews at [email protected].

BBBSWM Wins National Award

SPRINGFIELD — Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts (BBBSWM) has been recognized as a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Platinum Award Winner for program excellence in 2025. Every year, the BBBSA Nationwide Leadership Council, made up of local agency leaders and board members, selects agencies for excellence in the organization’s signature one-to-one youth mentoring program. Out of more than 230 agencies across the country, BBBSWM is one of 13 organizations to receive this top honor. This award recognizes the top agencies that meet requirements for both the Growth and Impact awards — meaning they have shown remarkable achievements in retaining the number of mentors (‘bigs’) and youth (‘littles’) matched through the program consistently from year to year and have exhibited exceptional growth in their local programs. In the past year, BBBSWM has served over 150 new youth and started several new programs in schools in Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties.

Country Bank Wins Chamber Legacy Award

WARE — Country Bank received the Chamber Legacy Award at the 2026 QHMA Choice Awards hosted by the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes organizations that have made a lasting impact through leadership, service, and continued commitment to the local community. This recognition comes on the heels of Country Bank’s 175th anniversary celebration last year, further highlighting the bank’s longstanding dedication to supporting the communities it serves throughout Central and Western Mass. Country Bank was also honored to receive official citations from the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives recognizing this achievement.

Beacon Bank Invests Nearly $600,000 in Nonprofits in Q1

PITTSFIELD — Beacon Bank and the bank’s foundation invested nearly $600,000 in its communities through charitable giving and sponsorships involving more than 130 nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont from January to March. Examples of nonprofits that received funding in the first quarter include Berkshire Community College Foundation, Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation, Community Access to the Arts Inc., Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center Inc., and Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Inc. Beacon Bank invests in the success and vibrancy of its local communities by supporting programs and organizations that focus on one of three areas: neighborhood revitalization and preservation, education, and critical services.

MCLA to Participate in Gardner Institute Program

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has been selected to join a national cohort of more than 35 colleges and universities participating in Advancing Student Success: Strategic Prioritization for Student Success, an initiative led by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, in partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and supported by the Gates Foundation. Participation gives MCLA access to a structured, evidence-based process designed to help campus leaders set priorities, strengthen academic pathways, and improve student learning, persistence, and completion. As part of the initiative, institutions receive customized reports, facilitated sense-making sessions, a strategic prioritization plan, and an implementation roadmap aligned with the Gardner Institute’s Six Transformation Principles. The initiative is delivered in partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, which serves as a key partner in advancing and supporting this work.

Eversource Recognized with 5 Star Employer Award

BOSTON — In recognition of its year-round dedication to prioritizing veterans in the workplace, Eversource has been named one of the nation’s top veteran employers by VETS Indexes for the third year in a row. This year, the energy company has been honored with VETS Indexes’ prestigious 5 Star Employer Award — the highest award level offered by the organization. This distinction highlights Eversource’s unwavering commitment to veteran employment and achievements in recruiting, retaining, and developing both veterans and the military-connected community. Eversource employs more than 830 veterans, representing all branches of the U.S. military.

Cigna Recognizes NBT Bank with Healthy Workforce Designation

NORWICH, N.Y. — Cigna Healthcare selected NBT Bank as a recipient of its 2025 gold level Healthy Workforce Designation for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and vitality of its employees through a workplace well-being program. NBT is committed to supporting employees’ overall health and well-being by providing tools and resources that educate, engage, and empower them, including an employee assistance program and financial wellness support. The company also fosters connection and inclusion through initiatives like Wellness Champions, NBT Communities, and the Inclusion Roundtable, helping create a more engaged and supportive workplace. The Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation evaluates organizations based on the core components of their well-being program, including workforce insights, strategy and culture, health equity and social determinants of health, dimensions of vitality, and engagement and experience.

AIC Introduces New Degrees

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has introduced new programs focused on preparing the next generation of public service leaders, including undergraduate degrees in fire science and emergency services and a fully online master of public administration (MPA). Offered through the School of Business, Arts, and Sciences, the bachelor of science in fire science and emergency services blends science, strategy, and service through coursework that integrates fire behavior and protection systems with training in leadership, administration, and community risk reduction. The program also offers an associate of science degree option. AIC’s master of public administration program prepares professionals to lead across government, nonprofit, public safety, education, and healthcare sectors. Delivered fully online in an accelerated format, the program emphasizes strategic management, data-informed decision making, ethical leadership, and effective communication. The fire science and emergency services programs align with the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education model developed by the U.S. Fire Administration and prepare graduates for careers in fire service, inspection, investigation, emergency planning, and disaster response. Bachelor’s degree graduates are also positioned for supervisory and administrative roles. The MPA program offers concentrations in fire science and emergency services, emergency management, and criminal justice leadership and administration, allowing students to tailor their studies to specific areas of public service. The fire science and emergency services programs will be offered on campus, with online options available through AIC’s Online Degree Completion program. Students may enroll in the fully online MPA program on a rolling basis through seven-week modules, with the next session beginning July 5.

Monson Savings, Country Bank Contributes to YWCA Campaign

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank and Country Bank both announced their support of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts’ “Shifting the Paradigm” campaign, an initiative focused on expanding violence prevention programs, supporting survivors, and strengthening critical services across the region. Each bank committed to a $100,000 contribution. The campaign aims to secure the long-term future of the YWCA, which has served Western Mass. for nearly 160 years by providing vital programs such as domestic violence shelter and advocacy, sexual assault counseling, youth education, housing support, and a 24/7 confidential crisis hotline that assists more than 6,500 individuals annually. The organization reaches more than 12,000 people each year, offering not just immediate support, but pathways toward healing, independence, and long-term stability.

MountainOne Named Among Best Places to Work

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne has been named among the 2026 Best Places to Work by the Boston Business Journal in the Medium Business category (100-249 employees), marking the second consecutive year the organization has earned this recognition. The Boston Business Journal’s annual ranking showcases Massachusetts companies that have built outstanding work environments for their employees. The 90 companies honored in 2026 represent a range of industries, including financial services, technology, retail, and healthcare. Businesses participated in employee-engagement surveys distributed by Boston Business Journal partner Quantum Workplace. Employees were asked to rate their work environment, work-life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, management, compensation, and benefits. Based on the results of those surveys, businesses were assigned a total score and overall ranking by Quantum.

UMassFive Earns Two Recognitions

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union recently received national recognition through the Diamond Awards, an annual competition hosted by America’s Credit Unions Marketing, PR & Development Council that recognizes excellence in credit union marketing and communications. The credit union was honored in the Brand Storytelling & Purpose Video category for its Member Stories Campaign, which features real members — local individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations — sharing how UMassFive has supported them and their financial goals. This year’s competition drew a record 1,481 submissions from credit unions across the country, with 181 organizations from 42 states selected as winners. UMassFive was also recently named Best Credit Union for the 20th consecutive year in the Valley Advocate’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll. UMassFive was also recognized as Best Financial Services during the first year this category was introduced to voters, as well as a finalist for Best Local Bank and Best Place to Work.

Celtics Shamrock Foundation Donates to Square One

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation (BCSF) announced that it will be awarding $2 million through the Fast Break Fund, naming Horizons for Homeless Children and Square One as the inaugural recipients of grants exceeding $1.2 million cumulatively to support education-focused initiatives across their communities. In addition to the two selected organizations receiving grants, $670,000 will be distributed across an additional nine nonprofits in support of their outreach programs. The Fast Break Fund is a newly established funding initiative through BCSF as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to help children and families in New England. Square One provides a comprehensive range of education and family support services designed to meet the evolving needs of children and families. Its programming spans early education and care, youth workforce development, home-visiting initiatives, and broader family services, helping to build a strong foundation for long-term growth and well-being. This grant will support the expansion of a clinical team specializing in early childhood education for youth who have experienced significant trauma.

Beacon Bank Offers Support to Visually Impaired Customers

BOSTON — On the eve of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Beacon Bank announced free access at all branches to an on-demand service that connects visually impaired users to live, real-time guides who provide assistance through an app using the camera and microphone on the user’s mobile phone. The Aira Explorer service is available at the bank’s 145 branches, as well as for those who require additional assistance to access visual information in online banking and the bank’s mobile app. Among other things, it provides support navigating branches, reading statements, using ATMs, making transactions, and accessing online and mobile banking. Every call is picked up by a professional visual interpreter who signs a confidentiality agreement and has rigorous training in privacy and security. Aira Explorer offers a number of minutes-based subscription plans, but the service is available at no cost for anyone with a free or paid account while visiting any Beacon Bank branch or using the bank’s online or mobile banking.

UMassFive Highlights Down Payment Assistance

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union and Member Advantage Mortgage (MAM), in partnership with MassHousing, recently hosted an informational event focused on affordable homeownership programs, drawing 25 attendees interested in learning more about down payment assistance and mortgage resources available across Massachusetts. The event, led by MAM Mortgage Consultant Gary Talbot and MassHousing Relationship Manager Oneida Fuentes, provided an overview of financing options designed to help eligible borrowers overcome one of the most common barriers to homeownership — upfront costs. Attendees were also informed of an expanded statewide MassHousing Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program, available now through July 31. Eligible borrowers may qualify for up to $25,000 in assistance, offered at a 0% interest rate with a deferred payment. Repayment is not required until the home is sold or refinanced, or the mortgage is paid in full. The program is part of MassHousing’s broader effort to expand access to sustainable homeownership for Massachusetts residents.

Bulkley Richardson Continues Annual YMCA Camp Cleanup

SPRINGFIELD — Bulkley Richardson returned to the YMCA’s Stony Brook Acres Day Camp in Wilbraham on May 1 for the firm’s annual day dedicated to preparing the grounds for campers to arrive next month. With 46 attorneys and staff coming out to the camp, the firm was able to make a major impact through projects such as painting picnic tables, mulching nature trails, power washing changing rooms, and doing necessary yard work on the 20-acre property. “In 2024, we chose the YMCA as a firmwide community project to honor the legacy of our partner, Jeff Poindexter,” said Dan Finnegan, Bulkley Richardson’s managing partner. “His longtime commitment to the YMCA and giving back to the community has inspired us to continue this project, turning into an annual philanthropic event that we look forward to each spring.”

Forest Park Zoo Hosts Summit to Boost Wildlife Collaboration

SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park hosted its inaugural Wildlife Summit on March 27, bringing together nearly 100 wildlife professionals from across Massachusetts and Connecticut for a day of collaboration, networking, and professional development. The half-day conference was designed specifically for licensed wildlife rehabilitators and other wildlife professionals. Attendees participated in a variety of roundtable discussions covering key topics such as conservation methods, bird strike prevention, reptile care, carnivore care, and an ‘ask a vet’ session. The day also included a behind-the-scenes zoo tour, offering insight into the zoo’s animal care practices, as well as a ‘swap shop’ where rehabilitators could exchange supplies to support their work. The conference reflects the zoo’s ongoing commitment to supporting displaced wildlife through safe, permanent placement after an injured or orphaned animal is no longer considered a candidate for release back into the wild. Because of this tenet of its mission, the zoo works closely with wildlife experts, making the summit a natural extension of its role as both a resource and a partner in the wildlife community. The Wildlife Summit was free for participants thanks to a grant from the Christopher and Susan Mastroianni Foundation.

Tracy Friedenberg

By
Women of Impact 2025

Executive Director, Bacon Wilson, P.C.

She’s Made a Career of Giving Others the Tools to Succeed

 

Tracy Friedenberg recalls working for a tech consulting company in Holyoke (the ill-fated Data Profit) not long after graduating from UMass Amherst in the mid-’90s, and quickly discovering what she wasn’t doing — and ultimately needed to do — for a living.

She started as a receptionist and very quickly moved to office manager and then executive assistant, and over the course of that rapid advancement, she made a critical discovery.

“I realized in those moments that I really loved business,” said Friedenberg, who had designs (pun intended) on the fashion industry and being a buyer for a major retailer while in college. “But what I loved more was being on the operations side and making sure that, behind the scenes, everything ran smoothly.

“I knew very early on that sales wasn’t necessarily my thing — I wasn’t that person who was going to go out and get the clients,” she went on. “But I wanted to make sure that the organization and the people in the organization had what they needed to be successful, so the people who were practicing whatever they were practicing could do what they needed to do. And that has carried with me through my entire career.”

Indeed, it has, through a series of jobs at MassMutual, a lengthy stint at the Hartford-based law firm Day Pitney, and, since 2023, for the Springfield-based law firm Bacon Wilson.

There, she serves as executive director, a title that comes with a broad range of responsibilities — everything from day-to-day HR duties to working with other firm leaders on long-term matters, from the impact of AI on the legal profession to where the new courthouse in Springfield might go, and what they will mean operationally — and we’ll get into some of that later.

“I knew very early on that sales wasn’t necessarily my thing — I wasn’t that person who was going to go out and get the clients. But I wanted to make sure that the organization and the people in the organization had what they needed to be successful, so the people who were practicing whatever they were practicing could do what they needed to do. And that has carried with me through my entire career.”

But at Bacon Wilson, and her many other career stops, it’s not the lines on her job description that have made her a Woman of Impact, but how she has carried them out, often going what most would consider above and beyond, while also getting involved in the community at the same time.

Tracy Friedenberg has been described as a selfless, compassionate leader, one who drives organizational success but also champions the growth and well-being of those around her.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

“Tracy is the kind of leader who not only drives an organization forward, but also ensures that every individual within it feels seen, valued, and cared for,” said Alayna Anderson, marketing coordinator for Bacon Wilson, who nominated her for this award. “She exemplifies compassion, strength, and service in everything she does. Her heart is always in the right place — committed to making a difference for the people and community she serves.”

Reflecting on what drives her, what she’s been able to accomplish, how she’s been influenced by mentors, and how she now mentors others, Friedenberg credits her parents, Bruce, who passed away last year, and Cecilia, as well as the Springfield school system, for giving her what she’s needed to be successful.

The schools instilled in her a thirst for learning and spawned a passion for everything from business to the Spanish language, with which she can still hold her own, she explained, while her parents, both hard workers, gave her inspiration, a solid foundation, and critical lessons, especially about the need to be accountable for everything one does with and during her life.

“My parents were and are a big part of whom I am,” she told BusinessWest. “They were hard workers. They weren’t necessary knocking it out of the park from a corporate standpoint, but I always learned the value of hard work from them, doing it for yourself, and treating people the way you want to be treated.

“I learned so much from them, and especially my mom,” she went on, echoing what has become a common theme among this year’s honorees. “She made a career out of customer service — she worked for 35 years at Springfield College in the food service department. Watching my mom work and watching her get joy out of serving people and helping them … really resonated with me. She took so much pride in everything she did. It didn’t matter if she was making a coffee or cleaning a counter or counting a cash drawer; having that pride in what she did and doing it well always resonated with me.”

 

Learning Experiences

Turning back the clock 30 years to her time at Data Profit, one of many tech companies that rose and fell in the ’90s or early 2000s, Friedenberg said it was a learning experience on many levels.

“I was the executive assistant to the number two and number three individuals in charge, and I was privy to a lot of information,” she recalled. “They had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and then it ended up being Chapter 7, and there were a lot of things going on. I would be in these difficult meetings with the leadership team; they were sitting there, and they literally had names on whiteboards, and they had to figure out who was going to be let go.

“It was at this age of 24 and 25 that I started to recognize some of the things that I knew I didn’t want to do or some of the ways I didn’t want to lead or manage,” she explained, adding that she has been shaped by every career stop and, long before that, her time in the Springfield schools and then UMass Amherst.

Tracing her career steps, Friedenberg said she moved from Data Profit to MassMutual, where she worked for nearly seven years, assuming titles ranging from College Relations manager to director of Corporate Human Resources.

“People are people, and, yes, we have work to do, and people have to be responsible and accountable for that, but we all are human, too. You can’t have people working for you and forget that they’re human beings.”

While at MassMutual, she was influenced by several managers and mentors, including one she served as an executive assistant who surprised her with a question she wasn’t really expecting.

“I had been there a few weeks … he came in one day and said, ‘where are you going to go in the company — what area do we need to move you to?’” she recalled. “I was a taken aback by that at first and said, ‘did I do something wrong?’ He said, ‘no, you have the ability to do more than this role requires, and I hired you for the company, not just this role.’

“Throughout your life, you have things that people say to you that stick with you,” she went on. “And that was one of them; that has resonated with me throughout my career. When I’ve been in a position to hire, I take a look at individuals not just for the role I’m trying to fill, which is important, but for their potential in general.”

In 2007, she began a 14-year stint with Day Pitney, a large firm with 13 offices and more than 600 employees. There, she held a variety of titles and had myriad responsibilities while gaining experience in some new realms, including work helping to manage some acquisitions and facility moves, and managing the IT Department.

Overall, she sharpened her skills when it became to being the person behind the scenes giving those around her the tools they needed to succeed.

After 15 years with the firm, she started to get “a little bored,” she said, and took on a new challenge, becoming chief of staff for Odin, a remote role that she wasn’t in long before she realized it wasn’t the right space for her.

Tracy Friedenberg says she’s long been inspired by the strong work ethic demonstrated by her parents.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

Ultimately, her position was eliminated, and this led to what she called the “summer of Tracy,” what she described as a period of reflection, taking her time deciding what she wanted to do next, and getting even more engaged in the community — with her daughter’s school as president of its PTO and as president of the Dress for Success Western Massachusetts board.

“I knew I wanted to be in this community again,” she explained. “I was born and raised in Springfield — I’ve lived here my whole life, and I still live here — and working in Hartford all those years, I realized how disconnected I felt from my community.”

 

Work in Progress

And it was in her role as president of Dress for Success, and specifically while leading efforts to secure a new home for the nonprofit after it was evicted from the closing Eastfield Mall, that Friedenberg ultimately started down the path to her latest career stop.

As she tells the story, she needed an attorney to review the lease for the new space on Lyman Street, couldn’t touch base with the attorney the agency had been working with, and wound up calling former Central High School classmate Dan McKellick, a shareholder with Bacon Wilson, to see if he could help. He did, and while doing so, he mentioned that the firm was looking for a new executive director.

“In her nearly two years at Bacon Wilson, Tracy has transformed our organization into the best version of itself.”

She applied, after realizing how much she missed the law firm environment, was hired, and is now, in essence, focusing on the present and future of this firm while applying lessons learned at the various stops in her career.

Perhaps the biggest of these lessons involve communication, managing change — because it is seemingly constant — and always remembering the human element of the workplace.

“People are people, and, yes, we have work to do, and people have to be responsible and accountable for that, but we all are human, too,” she told BusinessWest. “You can’t have people working for you and forget that they’re human beings.”

A story shared by Anderson in her nomination brings home this sentiment.

“I experienced the sudden and tragic loss of my partner — a loss that shook me and my community,” she wrote. “Tracy stepped beyond the role of executive director and became a source of unconditional support. She cooked meals, helped care for my home and my dog, covered my work responsibilities, managed our marketing and communications, and, most importantly, gave me the space and time to grieve.

“In her nearly two years at Bacon Wilson, Tracy has transformed our organization into the best version of itself,” Anderson went on. “She has fostered a culture of inclusivity, diversity, and warmth, reshaping the way our firm is perceived both internally and within the community. Her leadership has not only elevated our operations, but has changed the narrative of what it means to belong at Bacon Wilson.”

Jeff Fialky, the firm’s managing partner, echoed those thoughts.

“Tracy has been instrumental in continuing to shape our firm’s culture and success,” he said. “She leads with empathy, strength, and brilliance, ensuring that every challenge becomes an opportunity for those around her to grow and flourish. Her influence extends well beyond our walls — she uplifts those around her.”

When asked about her work and how it might generate such comments, Friedenberg said it comes down to keeping one eye on today, the other on tomorrow, and, most importantly, being a good listener as she manages a firm, but also a workforce that spans several generations.

“One thing that I feel so grateful for is that lots of people come and talk with me throughout the day,” she said. “They’ll come to me to talk about a concern they might have — maybe it’s with a client, or maybe it’s just something with their own personal situation in their employment or something in their personal life. Or they’ll bounce an idea off me or bring ideas to me. I feel so honored that they let me into their circle of trust.”

Not everyone gets into that circle of trust. It’s reserved for those who not only listen, but respond proactively and compassionately to what they hear.

It’s reserved, in this case, for a Woman of Impact.

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Attorneys Alexandre Pereira, Sara Cafaro

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that two attorneys have officially joined the firm. Former law clerk Alexandre Pereira and former real-estate intern Sara Cafaro sat for the Massachusetts State Bar Exam in late July and have since been sworn in to the Massachusetts Bar as of Nov. 19.

Alexandre Pereira

Pereira joined Bacon Wilson as a law clerk in June 2023, gaining experience across multiple legal disciplines and discovering a strong passion for elder law and estate planning. During his time at Bacon Wilson, he earned his juris doctor degree with a concentration in transactional law from Western New England University School of Law in May 2024. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, magna cum laude, from Western New England University, achieved in 2021.

Before joining Bacon Wilson, Pereira served as a legal assistant at Marta Law Offices in Ludlow, where he developed valuable expertise in estate planning and real estate. Beyond his professional pursuits, he has been an active community member, volunteering at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. He is excited to continue serving his community as Bacon Wilson’s newest associate attorney in the Elder Law and Estate Planning department.

Sara Cafaro

Cafaro began her journey at Bacon Wilson as an intern in the summer of 2022, working in the Corporate and Commercial Real Estate department at the Springfield office. She later transitioned to the Westfield office in the winter of 2022, continuing her practicum internship through 2024. She earned her juris doctor degree from Western New England University School of Law in May 2024. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Western New England University, completed through the accelerated 3+3 program. This innovative program allowed her to begin her law-school coursework during her senior undergraduate year, enabling her to graduate cum laude with her bachelor’s degree a year early in May 2022.

During her academic career, Cafaro was recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Edward F. McBride Award and the CALI Award for Excellence in Evidence Law. She is excited to advance her career as Bacon Wilson’s newest associate attorney in the Commercial and Residential Real Estate department.

Bacon Wilson’s Jeffrey Fialky Selected to 2024 Super Lawyers List

By
Daily News

Jeffrey Fialky

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Fialky has been named to the 2024 Super Lawyers list for Business and Corporate Law.

Being recognized in the 2024 Super Lawyers list is a prestigious accolade for attorneys. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Lawyers are selected through a multi-phase process that includes nominations, independent research, peer evaluation, and a rigorous final selection process.

Seven Bacon Wilson Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for 2025

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C., with offices in Springfield, Northampton, Amherst, and Westfield, announced that seven of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America, including recognition in the Ones to Watch category.

They include:

• Kenneth Albano, business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships);

• Gina Barry, elder law;

• Gary Breton, banking and finance law and business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships);

• Hyman Darling, elder law;

• Michael Katz, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law;

• Tyler Humphrey (Ones to Watch), banking and finance law; and

• Daniel McKellick (Ones to Watch), real-estate law.

Two Bacon Wilson attorneys were named Lawyer of the Year in Springfield for 2025: Breton for business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), and Darling for elder law.

Inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America is determined through a comprehensive peer-review survey.

Bacon Wilson Announces Tracy Friedenberg as New Executive Director

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that Tracy Friedenberg has joined the firm as its new executive director. She comes to Bacon Wilson with more than 25 years of corporate and law-firm experience, including human resources, operations management, and information technology. She will work directly with Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Fialky across all levels of firm management in each of Bacon Wilson’s four offices.

Friedenberg previously served as chief of staff for Odin Labs Inc. in New York City. Prior to that, she worked for Day Pitney LLP in Hartford, Conn. for 14 years. Her career path there advanced from project management to senior manager up to director of Technical Services and Project Management in 2020. Day Pitney is an East Coast-based comprehensive law firm with national and international reach, housing more than 300 attorneys and 13 offices throughout the Northeast, as well as in Southeast Florida.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Bacon Wilson team,” Friedenberg said. “Working for an organization with a longstanding and positive reputation, like Bacon Wilson, is important to me. I look forward to supporting its growth and commitment to providing outstanding legal services in our community.”

Friedenberg holds an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the UMass College of Arts and Sciences and a bachelor’s degree in apparel marketing from the College of Food and Natural Resources. She serves as president of the board of directors for Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, a nonprofit organization that empowers women to gain economic independence.

“Tracy comes to Bacon Wilson with a unique and robust degree of experience and expertise in the legal industry,” Fialky said. “We are thrilled for Tracy’s leadership as we continue to honor the firm’s 135-year-old legacy and as the firm continues to grow and expand to better serve our clients and the community.”

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Attorney Conor Carey

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that attorney Conor Carey has joined the firm as an associate in the Litigation department.

Carey earned his juris doctorate, cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis in 2018 and his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Westfield State University in 2015. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, he spent a year as a judicial law clerk for Associate Justice Sabita Singh of the Massachusetts Appeals Court and also previously served as a research attorney to the justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court in Worcester.

At Bacon Wilson, he will be assisting clients with their litigation needs in both civil and criminal law. He is a member of both the Hampden and Hampshire county bar associations and will be working primarily out of the firm’s Northampton office. He is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Minnesota.

“Bacon Wilson is thrilled for Conor to join the firm as we continue to grow and expand our ability to serve the diverse needs of our clients,” Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Fialky said. “Conor, a native of Easthampton, is yet another example of a talented individual returning to Western Massachusetts for his career path. Conor has robust experience working with the judiciary, and particularly the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, and this expertise is an exciting addition to Bacon Wilson’s distinguished litigation department.”

Bacon Wilson Shareholder Gina Barry Receives Certification in Elder Law

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Earlier this summer, the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), the only organization approved by the American Bar Assoc. to offer certification in elder law, announced that Bacon Wilson, P.C. attorney Gina Barry has successfully completed its examination leading to such certification.

Certification in elder law — one of the fastest-growing fields in the legal profession — will assure the public that the attorney has an in-depth working knowledge of the legal issues that impact the elderly.

Barry is now one of two Bacon Wilson attorneys to pass this certification exam. Attorney Hyman Darling earned his certification in elder law in 2008.

Eight Bacon Wilson Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that six lawyers from the firm were recently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for 2024, and two were included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Along with the year they were first recognized in Best Lawyers in any practice area, they are:

• Gary Breton (2018): banking and finance law and business organizations (including LLCS and partnerships);

• Michael Katz (2016): bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law;

• Kenneth Albano (2020): business organizations (including LLCS and partnerships);

• Gina Barry (2018): elder law;

• Hyman Darling (2020): elder law;

• Peter MacConnell (2021): real-estate law;

• Daniel McKellick (2023): Ones to Watch in real-estate law; and

• Tyler Humphrey (2021): Ones to Watch in banking and finance law.

Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America is based on comprehensive peer-review surveys. This year alone, almost 58,000 voters responded to surveys.

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Four Law Clerks for 2023-24

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Alexandre Pereira, Allison Hanna, Lauren Rainville, and Emily Gorney have been accepted into its law-clerk program for the 2023-24 school year.

Bacon Wilson created the clerkship program more than 40 years ago to allow law-school students to gain experience and mentoring in the legal profession. The  clerks are an integral part of the firm and participate in various firm events during their time at Bacon Wilson.

Pereira joined Bacon Wilson in May 2023. He is a Western New England University School of Law candidate for juris doctor in May 2024. He earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in finance from Western New England University (WNE) in 2021. Prior to Bacon Wilson, he was a teaching assistant in the academic success center at WNE. He was also a legal assistant at Marta Law Offices in Ludlow, where he gained experience in estate planning and real-estate law. Currently, he has interests in estate planning and litigation. In addition to his previous work experience, Pereira has volunteered his time at Our Lady of Fatima Parish and was also a Best Buddies International Organization member. He has lived in Western Mass. his entire life and hopes to continue his legal career here after graduation. He is looking forward to using his time at Bacon Wilson to explore many other areas of law.

Hanna is one of two returning law clerks for a second year and has been with Bacon Wilson since September 2022. She is a Western New England University School of Law candidate for juris doctor in May 2024. She earned her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laud, in legal studies from State University of New York in Canton in 2020, and her associate of applied science degree in paralegal studies from Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, N.Y. in 2018. Hanna competed on the WNE National Moot Court team and served as a student attorney for the WNE Global Justice Clinic. She is the founder and chair of the parents attending law school committee through Western New England, and also worked as a lawyering skills teaching assistant. Before joining Bacon Wilson, she was a law clerk for Riscassi & Davis, P.C. in Hartford, Conn., as well as a paralegal at Morrison Mahoney in Springfield and Newman & Lickstein in Syracuse, N.Y.

Rainville is a returning law clerk who joined Bacon Wilson in May 2022. She is a Western New England University School of Law Candidate for juris doctor in May 2024. She earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in business management from Bay Path University in 2016. Her previous experience includes negotiations and settlements with claimants’ attorneys and pro-se claimants on personal and commercial auto damage and injury losses in Connecticut. Rainville has volunteered her time at the Jewish Family Services Legal Immigration Clinic and as an educator at Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School. She participated in the WNE School of Law’s Real Estate Practicum in the spring of 2023. She is interested in pursuing a career in criminal or civil litigation, and she hopes to build on the network she has formed and practice in the Springfield area.

Gorney joined the firm in May 2023 and will be eligible for her juris doctor in May 2024 from Western New England University School of Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international trade and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She is interested in family law, immigration, and international law. This fall, she will be a judicial intern for the Hartford Immigration Court. She participated in WNE’s Global Justice Clinic last spring, which provided legal aid to families separated at the southern U.S. border. She has also volunteered for the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project, Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts, and Dakin Humane Society. Gorney enjoys the personal and interactive aspects of lawyering and is passionate about advocating for underrepresented communities. She hopes to continue building a professional network in the Western Mass. area and is committed to maintaining involvement in the community.

Bacon Wilson Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Fialky noted that “we are thrilled to have these four exceptional law students continue in Bacon Wilson’s longstanding tradition of law-clerk excellence, and we are very fortunate to have this region’s best and brightest contribute to our work for the benefit of our clients.”

Jeff Fialky Ascends to Managing Partner at Bacon Wilson

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Jeff Fialky
Law Special Coverage

Change at the Top

Jeff Fialky

Jeff Fialky

It’s called Service at the Pleasure of My Partners: Advice to the New Firm Leader.

And as that title might suggest, this book by Patrick McKenna and Brian Burke is intended for those lawyers who have, or soon will have, the title ‘managing partner’ affixed to their business card.

Jeff Fialky, a partner at Springfield-based Bacon Wilson, bought a copy of the book, which presents content built around real-life issues and questions, several weeks ago, after initial talks with Ken Albano, longtime managing partner at the firm, about passing the torch.

He said he’s read it, marked several passages, and dog-eared several of the pages, an exercise he described as just part of the transition process at the firm, one that should be completed by the spring.

“It’s a good resource to hear from other managing shareholders about coping with some of their challenges — what they encountered and what they had to overcome,” he said of the book.

As he takes the helm at Bacon Wilson, Fialky said he believes the firm is well-positioned for the future. It has what all firms this size — roughly 40 lawyers — are looking for in a solid mix of young lawyers, those at the mid-career stage, and several older, veteran lawyers. It also has an established presence in the region through its main office in Springfield and smaller locations in Westfield, Amherst, Northampton, and Hadley.

“The firm is in a phenomenal place,” he said. “We’ve been here for 135 years, and we have a solid foundation for the firm to succeed well on into the future — for another 135 years.”

There are challenges, though, especially when it comes to hiring young lawyers and maintaining that mix of talent. Indeed, there are fewer people graduating from law schools, and the competition for those who do is considerable and becoming more intense with each passing year.

“I felt the time was right for some new leadership, some younger leadership. Jeff is respected by everyone in the firm, and he’s the one that take the firm to the next level.”

“We’ve had significant challenges in retaining and identifying new talent,” he said. “The past few years have been really difficult to find people; it’s been very competitive, with all forms of employees, be it staff members, legal secretaries, administrative assistants, and lawyers. It’s all about supply and demand.”

Fialky said he is looking forward to leading the firm through these intriguing times and continuing a pattern of strong leadership that has enabled Bacon Wilson to continue to grow and expand its presence over the past few decades.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity,” he said. “My first reaction was just humility and comprehending the enormity of the responsibility and feeling really honored and humbled by it. When I came back to Springfield to Bacon Wilson, I was a mid-career transfer; I’d been practicing for a number of years at that point. I was so fortunate to be given an opportunity to start a career, and to think that, all these years later, I’d be in this position is something I would never have contemplated.

“But now that I’m here, I’m really appreciative for the level of responsibility that’s been given to me by my partners and my colleagues,” he went on. “And it’s something I take very seriously, but also with great energy and enthusiasm; I’m really excited.”

For this issue and its focus on law, BusinessWest talked at length with Fialky about his new role and what comes next for one of the most venerable firms in the region.

 

Firm Resolve

As he talked about his practice and large case load, his work in the community, the additional burdens that come with managing partner, and how he will manage it all, Fialky summoned that time-honored axiom ‘if you want to get something done, ask a busy person, and they’ll get it done.’

He has certainly been busy in recent years as chair of the firm’s corporate and commercial department, and also a member of the municipal department. He has also been involved in the firm’s governance and was one of the founders of its executive committee.

Overall, he specializes in sophisticated business, financing, and commercial real-estate transactions, representing the interests of business owners and lending institutions, as well as municipalities and landowners.

A BusinessWest Forty Under 40 honoree in 2008 and consistent finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award established several years later, Fialky joined Bacon Wilson in 2006 after nearly a decade in Eastern Mass., where he held senior attorney positions with some of the country’s most prominent Fortune 100 telecommunications and cable-TV companies. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in Hampden County after earning juris doctor at Western New England School of Law in 1994.

Albano told BusinessWest that, after six years as managing partner, including the three long and very challenging years defined by the pandemic, he felt it was time for a change at the helm. And he considers Fialky to be a logical and well-qualified successor.

“I felt the time was right for some new leadership, some younger leadership,” he explained. “Jeff is respected by everyone in the firm, and he’s the one that will take the firm to the next level.”

Fialky acknowledged that he takes the helm at an intriguing and challenging time for law firms, which are coping with everything from a difficult hiring market to transitioning to new ways of doing work in the wake of the pandemic, to new technology that tempts consumers to find their legal answers online instead of from a trained attorney.

“Technology, as it pertains to the law, is really interesting and difficult to predict,” he noted. “The legal industry is a trailing indicator of technology; we’re never at the forefront of innovation. The next big question is what happens with artificial intelligence down the road. There’s been quite a bit of recent press of artificial intelligence and service professions like the law and accounting. What’s so interesting about the law is that technology is a platform to accomplish the outcome, and how personal the law is relative to an attorney-client relationship.

“With so many of our clients … while they can pick up the phone, while we can Zoom from 15 miles away, they want to come in, they want to sit down, and they want to talk to their attorney,” he went on. “These are relationships that last decades, throughout people’s lives … you can’t replace that with technology.”

When asked about the management style he will take as he addresses these and other issues, Fialky said it will be one grounded in collaboration.

“That’s how I’ve engaged in our commercial department, where we ask for many opinions before we make a decision,” he explained. “But then, when decisions need to be made, we make a decision and stand by it. That’s how I intend to manage.”

 

Case in Point

Getting back to that book he’s been reading, Fialky said it’s a collection of thoughts from managing partners on subjects ranging from following a successful leader to keeping up morale when a firm is under duress; from creating performance standards to managing one’s time.

Soon, he won’t be reading about such matters, but coping with them in real time.

It’s a challenge he’s looking forward to, one he’s spent a career preparing for, and he knows he will take it on not by himself, but in collaboration with others.

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Law Clerks for 2022-2023

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Lauren Rainville, Amanda Walsh, and Nicholas Kubacki have been accepted into the Law Clerk program for the 2022-2023 school year.

Bacon Wilson created the clerkship program more than 40 years ago to allow law school students to gain experience and mentoring in the legal profession. Many Bacon Wilson attorneys began their careers after their clerkship experience. The program is unique as it lasts for a year.

Typically, clerks begin at the firm at the end of their second year of law school and stay through their third year. Clerks use their law school training to conduct important research assignments with attorneys in all practice areas. The clerks are an integral and important part of the firm and participate in various firm events during their time at Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Rainville joined Bacon Wilson, P.C. in May. A Western New England University School of Law Candidate for Juris Doctorate in May 2024, she ranks in the top 25th percentile of her class and is the treasurer for the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She earned her bachelor of Science degree, cum laude in Business Management from Bay Path University, in 2016. Her previous experience includes negotiations and settlements with claimants’ attorneys and pro-se claimants on personal and commercial auto damage, and injury losses in Connecticut.

She has volunteered her time as an educator for Junior Achievement in Connecticut and Western Mass. from 2016 to 2018, and as a camp volunteer at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut in 2019. She is interested in pursuing a career in real estate law. She is a member of Western New England’s Real Estate Law Association and will be participating in the Western New England University’s Law School Real Estate Practicum in the Spring of 2023.

Walsh joined the firm in May, and will be eligible for her Juris Doctorate in May 2023, from Western New England University School of Law. She spent two years at the University of London in Richmond, Surrey, as a transfer student and then earned her Bachelor of Political Science and Economics Degree, cum laude in May 2020 from Simmons University in Boston.

Recently, she served as a fellow for The State House, and as a Blue Lab associate to the Liberty Square Group in Boston. She was elected 1L and 2L day class representative from September 2020 to May 2022. She has been interested in becoming an attorney since the age of 10. She has expressed interest in litigation and trust and estates.

Kubacki joined Bacon Wilson, P.C. in May, and will be eligible for his Juris Doctorate in May 2023, from Western New England University School of Law. He earned his bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, summa cum laude in May 2020 from Western New England University.

He also was named to Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society for Student-Athletes. He is currently a teaching assistant in the Academic Success Center at Western New England, as well as a member of the Real Estate Law Association. Recently, he served as a legal intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and as a Victim Witness Advocate intern at the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.

Bacon Wilson Announces Additions to Firm 

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Attorney Timothy M. Netkovick and Attorney Jennifer R. Sharrow have joined the firm. 

Netkovick is a member of Bacon Wilson’s Employment Law Practice Group. He is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut and has significant experience in matters including employment and commercial litigation. He has been practicing law for 20 years, having earned his J.D. from Western New England College School of Law in 2002, and a B.S. magna cum laude from American International College in 1999. He was recognized as the School of Law Academic Scholarship Recipient during his time at Western New England, and an All-American Scholar in 1998 at American International. He will be working from Bacon Wilson’s Springfield location. 

Sharrow is a member of Bacon Wilson’s Commercial Law Practice Group. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has more than a decade of experience working in public service, with experience in federal programs where she focused on municipal, non-profit, and business development. She earned her J.D. in 2010 from the University of Connecticut School of Law and earned a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire in 2007. 

She has volunteered her time by serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity from 2010 to 2011 and participated in multiple pro bono programs including the Women’s Bar Foundation Family Law Project and the Hampden County Bar Association Lawyer for the Day Program. Currently, she serves as the Legal Chair for the Shoshin Ryu Martial Arts Association and is a member of the Belchertown Zoning Board of Appeals. She will work from Bacon Wilson’s Springfield location.  

Bacon Wilson’s Managing Shareholder, Kenneth J. Albano, welcomed the new attorneys to the legal family, “Tim and Jennifer provide significant depth and experience to their respective practice groups.” 

The firm also welcomed Alayna Anderson, as the marketing coordinator, who recently joined the firm at the Springfield location. She is a Cape Cod Native who since relocated to Springfield after earning her bachelor of Science degree in marketing as well as her master’s of Business Administration, both from Springfield College. She will work directly with Bacon Wilson’s Executive Director, Lisa Carpenter, on all aspects of managing the firm’s marketing and public relations for all five locations.  

Bacon Wilson Announces Brian Rucki, Amanda Carpe as New Associates

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that Brian Rucki and Amanda Carpe have joined the firm as associate attorneys. Rucki is a member of the real-estate team, and Carpe has joined the probate and estate-planning department.

Bacon Wilson’s managing partner, Kenneth Albano, welcomed the new associates, noting that “both Attorney Rucki and Attorney Carpe have significant prior experience that makes them especially valuable additions to the firm, and means they are ready to hit the ground running. Brian and Amanda are already hard at work serving clients and getting to know their colleagues. We are very happy to have them as part of Bacon Wilson’s team of excellent lawyers.”

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Rucki spent five years practicing law in Westfield, where he worked on all aspects of real-estate transactions including purchases, sales, refinances, and title work, as well as estate-planning matters. Previously, he also served as a clerk in the solicitor’s office for the town of Agawam, where his work focused on municipal law. He attended Western New England University School of Law, earning his juris doctor laude in 2016. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst in 2013.

Carpe comes to Bacon Wilson with five years of experience in estate planning, estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, and residential real estate. She previously practiced in Ludlow and Worcester. In addition to her work in estates and probate, she clerked for the Hampden County Juvenile Court and interned with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where her work focused on juvenile and child-welfare law. She earned her juris doctor in 2016 from Western New England University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University in 2013.

Bacon Wilson Announces Eight Attorneys named to ‘Best Lawyers’

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that eight of the firm’s attorneys have been named to Best Lawyers in America® 2022: Attorney Kenneth Albano, the firm’s managing partner, was recognized in Best Lawyers for business organizations including LLCs and partnerships; Michael Katz for bankruptcy and reorganization; Stephen Krevalin for family law; Hyman Darling for elder law; Gary Breton for banking/finance law and business organizations; Gina Barry for elder law; Mark Tanner for real estate litigation; and Peter MacConnell for real estate law.

In addition to being named a Best Lawyer, MacConnell was also named as 2022 Lawyer of the Year for real estate law in Springfield, a designation presented to a single outstanding lawyer in each practice area for each region.

Founded in 1895, Bacon Wilson, P.C. is one of the largest Pioneer Valley firms, with 43 attorneys, and approximately 80 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm has five locations – Springfield, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and Westfield.

First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is regarded as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing in Best Lawyers; rather, lists are based entirely on peer review, and as such, inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® is considered an honor.

Bacon Wilson Opens New Office in Westfield

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced the opening of a new facility at 99 Springfield Road in Westfield. On June 23, the firm welcomed clients, neighbors, and friends to a grand-opening reception. Westfield Mayor Donald Humason Jr. officiated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, while the firm’s managing shareholder, Kenneth Albano, welcomed the assembled guests, noting in his remarks that the gathering was a particularly happy occasion, as it was the firm’s first opportunity for in-person festivities since the pandemic began.

Bacon Wilson has enjoyed a longtime presence in the city of Westfield. The firm’s original Westfield office space was located on Chapel Street for more than a decade. In 2015, the firm moved to the Westwood Building on Elm Street. The current move to the newly renovated, state-of-the-art office space at 99 Springfield Road brings Bacon Wilson to one of the city’s most important thoroughfares. The firm hopes that clients and colleagues will enjoy the highly visible and convenient location.

Founded in 1895, Bacon Wilson is one of the largest firms in the Pioneer Valley, with 41 lawyers and approximately 80 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff working from five locations: Springfield, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and Westfield.

Bacon Wilson Announces Lisa Carpenter as Executive Director

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that Lisa Carpenter has joined the firm as the new executive director. She comes to Bacon Wilson with more than 20 years of experience in legal administration and management in the Kansas City area, with specialized skills and expertise in law-firm management and operations. She works directly with Bacon Wilson’s managing shareholder, Kenneth Albano, on all aspects of directing the firm’s five offices.

“Joining Bacon Wilson at this particular time — in the middle of a pandemic and during an important phase of the firm’s growth — is an exciting challenge,” Carpenter said. “I received a very warm welcome from the attorneys and staff, and I’m gratified to say that my prior experience in operations management has allowed me to hit the ground running on Bacon Wilson’s many projects.”

Before joining Bacon Wilson, Carpenter served as office administrator for Littler Mendelson P.C.’s Global Service Center in Kansas City, Mo., as well as its Kansas City local practice office. Littler Mendelson P.C. is an international labor and employment law firm with offices in more than 70 U.S. locations and 15 countries. Prior to that, Carpenter worked for 14 years in operations management at the Kansas City headquarters of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP, a large international product litigation firm with more than 16 locations.

Carpenter holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Friends University and is a member of the Assoc. of Legal Administrators (ALA), where she has published multiple articles, including “Five Steps to Forming Business Partner Relationships” for Kansas City ALA publication the Hearsay, as well as “Nothing to be Afraid of … Successfully Requesting Vendor Proposals,” a piece on the request-for-proposal process for the ALA national publication ALA Currents.

Bacon Wilson Promotes Daniel McKellick and Christopher Pierson to Shareholder

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that two of the firm’s attorneys have been promoted. Daniel McKellick and Christopher Pierson have both been named shareholders.

McKellick is a business and real-estate attorney who works primarily on commercial and corporate matters, including real-estate transactions, leases, commercial lending, mergers and acquisitions, business startup and succession, and contract drafting and review. His prior experience in senior management for a large wholesale distribution company provides him with insight into business operations and profitability. He is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Pierson is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict in courts across Massachusetts. His practice encompasses all aspects of civil litigation, including commercial disputes, individual matters, and accident and injury litigation. He is a graduate of Northeastern University Law School and Gettysburg College.

“The experience and work ethic Dan brings to our commercial/corporate practice, and that Chris has delivered to our litigation department, is immeasurable,” Managing Partner Kenneth Albano said. “I am gratified and honored to welcome them to Bacon Wilson’s team of partners.”

Bacon Wilson Announces David Lavenburg as Of Counsel

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney David Lavenburg has joined the firm as of counsel and a member of the litigation team. He will practice primarily from Bacon Wilson’s Springfield location.

Lavenburg represents creditors of all kinds, such as banks, credit unions, and debt purchasers, in loan-recovery and collection matters. He also litigates extensively for commercial property landlords and tenants, management companies, and large and small businesses. His legal work spans a variety of areas, including complex commercial litigation, lease disputes, commercial collections, real-estate foreclosure, and bankruptcy litigation. He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, appears regularly in the trial and appellate courts for both states, and has argued in the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Lavenburg was a partner with Kroll, McNamara, Evans & Delehanty, LLP, of West Hartford, Conn., preceded by his partnership with the Springfield law firm Gold & Vanaria, P.C. He received his juris doctor in 1990 from Capital Law School of Columbus, Ohio, having earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1987 at Ohio Wesleyan University. He also chairs Longmeadow’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Joshua Woods as New Associate

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Joshua Woods has joined the firm. Woods is an associate and a member of the firm’s business and commercial law team, and is licensed in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Woods practiced law in Hartford, Conn. and also in the Boston area, where he handled a wide variety of business matters including all aspects of corporate formation, franchising, joint ventures, leasing, and business and commercial litigation. He attended Western New England University School of Law, earning his juris doctor in 2017, and earned a BBA from Hofstra University in 2013. He will practice primarily from Bacon Wilson’s office in Springfield, working with clients throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Bacon Wilson Announces Michael Locke as New Associate

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Michael Locke has joined the firm as an associate and a member of the real-estate team, focusing on matters of land use, planning, and zoning.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Locke served as a clerk in both the Massachusetts Superior Court and the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. He earned his juris doctor magna cum laude from New England Law School in 2018, and his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from UMass Amherst in 2015. He will be practicing primarily from Bacon Wilson’s Amherst location, working with real-estate and business clients throughout the Commonwealth.

Bacon Wilson Announces Katharine Shove as New Associate

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Katharine Shove has joined the firm as an associate and a member of the firm’s litigation team. She will practice primarily from Bacon Wilson’s offices in Springfield and Northampton.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Shove served as a clerk for the Massachusetts Appeals Court. She attended Western New England University School of Law, where she served as the senior articles editor for the Western New England Law Review. She earned her juris doctor degree magna cum laude in 2019, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Utica College in 2015.

10 Bacon Wilson Attorneys Named ‘Best Lawyers’

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson is pleased announced that 10 attorneys have been named to The Best Lawyers in America© 2021.

Attorney Kenneth Albano, the firm’s managing partner, was recognized in Best Lawyers for business organizations including LLCs and partnerships; Michael Katz for bankruptcy and reorganization; Stephen Krevalin for family law; Hyman Darling for elder law; Gary Breton for banking/finance law and for business organizations; Gina Barry for elder law; Jeffrey Fialky for commercial finance; Mark Tanner for real estate litigation; Paul Rothschild for litigation; and Peter MacConnell for real estate law.

First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is regarded as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on peer-review evaluations. Lawyers are not permitted pay for a listing, and due to the peer-review nature of the process, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Founded in 1895, Bacon Wilson, P.C. is one of the largest firms in the Pioneer Valley, with 43 lawyers, and approximately 60 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff.

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Erin Chrzanowski as New Associate

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Erin Chrzanowski has joined the firm as an associate and a member of the firm’s business and corporate practice group, where she works on matters related to commercial real estate and financing.

In addition, she was recently elected to serve on the board of Revitalize Community Development Corp. in Springfield.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Chrzanowski attended Syracuse University College of Law, earning her JD in 2019, and UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, earning her BBA cum laude in 2017. She is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New York.

Bacon Wilson Donates $10,000 to YMCA of Greater Springfield

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that the firm has recently completed a $10,000 contribution to the capital campaign for the YMCA of Greater Springfield. The pledge originated in the fall of 2019, as Bacon Wilson supported the YMCA’s transition from the former Chestnut Street location to the new Tower Square facility in downtown Springfield. 

“My partners and I are very pleased to be able to support the Springfield YMCA at this critical moment,” said attorney Kenneth Albano, Bacon Wilson’s managing partner. “Bacon Wilson is pleased to know our contribution will boost the mission and continuing good works of the YMCA of Greater Springfield.”

Bacon Wilson Continues Legal Living Room Series

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In light of the COVID-19 health crisis, the law firm Bacon Wilson is hosting Legal Living Room, a free series of web discussions, allowing attorneys to communicate directly with the public about important legal topics.

Starting with the April 14 kickoff event, the firm has held weekly conversations each Tuesday on the topics of estate planning, employment, family law, and real estate. The discussions have been lively and interactive, with attorneys answering questions from participants and customizing program content on the spot according to audience preference.

The series now continues on May 12 with a session on long-term care planning, followed by bankruptcy on May 19.

The long-term care planning discussion, set for Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m., will feature attorneys Hyman Darling, Gina Barry, Benjamin Coyle, Todd Ratner, Lisa Halbert, and Valerie Vignaux. The team will review essential topics relative to planning for nursing care, including Medicare, long-term care insurance, asset protection, and an overview of the regulations and qualification process for Medicaid and MassHealth. To register, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to join the meeting.

The Legal Living Room series then continues on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 p.m., when attorneys Michael Katz and Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux will present bankruptcy topics including financial options for both businesses and individuals, Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13, and options outside bankruptcy. To register, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to join the meeting.

Bacon Wilson is hosting the Legal Living Room web discussions on Zoom, allowing participants to join in from the safety and comfort of home. The Zoom platform also allows a degree of anonymity, if desired, as participants register via e-mail and have the ability to select a screen name of their choosing. Legal Living Room web discussions are free and open to the public. For more information or to reserve a spot, click the direct registration links provided, or contact Carolyn Coulter at (413) 886-8316 or [email protected].

Bacon Wilson Continues Free Legal Living Room Web Discussion Series

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In light of the COVID-19 health crisis, the law firm of Bacon Wilson is hosting Legal Living Room, a free series of web discussions, allowing attorneys to communicate directly with the public about important legal topics. After presenting informative sessions for estate planning on April 14 and employment on April 21, Bacon Wilson will continue the Legal Living Room series with an additional estate-planning presentation and a family-law session.

The estate-planning ‘encore’ presentation is set for Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. Attorneys Hyman Darling, Gina Barry, Benjamin Coyle, Todd Ratner, Lisa Halbert, and Valerie Vignaux will outline the essential elements of a successful estate plan and answer questions from participants, including subjects such as how documents can be signed while maintaining safe social distancing, considerations when nominating guardians for minor children, and more. The firm added this additional estate-planning session due to high interest and participation in the Legal Living Room kickoff event, held April 14.

The Legal Living Room series then continues on Tuesday, April 28 at 6 p.m., when attorneys Julie Dialessi-Lafley and Melissa Gillis will present family-law topics including issues of custody and parenting time, family-court actions, divorce, mediation, child-support and alimony modification, and related issues.

Bacon Wilson is hosting its Legal Living Room web discussions on the Zoom platform, allowing participants the opportunity to talk from the safety and comfort of home. Legal Living Room web discussions are free and open to the public.

For more information or to reserve a spot, click here for the April 23 event or here for the April 28 event, or e-mail Carolyn Coulter at [email protected].

Bacon Wilson Attorneys Hosting Legal Living Room, Free Web Discussion Series

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In light of the COVID-19 health crisis, the law firm of Bacon Wilson is offering a free series of web discussions, allowing attorneys to communicate directly with the public about important legal topics.

The Legal Living Room discussion series kicked off Tuesday evening, April 14, featuring Bacon Wilson’s estate-planning team fielding questions from approximately 30 discussion participants during a lively, informative conversation.

Legal Living Room continues Tuesday, April 21, when employment-law attorneys Kathryn Crouss and Meaghan Murphy will be on hand to address employment topics including employee rights and employer responsibilities under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, elements of the CARES Act relevant to employment considerations, severance agreements, Massachusetts and federal expanded unemployment benefits, aid for small businesses, and the Paycheck Protection Program. Crouss and Murphy will take questions and customize discussion content.

The series will continue with sessions on family law on Tuesday, April 28, and real estate on Tuesday, May 5.

Bacon Wilson is hosting Legal Living Room web discussions on the Zoom platform, allowing participants the opportunity to talk from the safety and comfort of home. The web discussions are free and open to the public. For more information or to reserve a spot, e-mail Carolyn Coulter at [email protected].

Bacon Wilson to Donate $25,000 for Firm’s 125th Anniversary

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that, in honor of its 125th anniversary year, the firm will donate $25,000 to various community organizations throughout the Pioneer Valley. Bacon Wilson will make five contributions of $1,250 for each quarter of 2020.

Originally founded in 1895, Bacon Wilson’s community involvement and connections stretch back over a century. As the firm worked on a plan for the 2020 milestone, there was no question that contributing to the community would be the most important element of the anniversary celebrations. The only question was how.

The answer became clear after the firm’s managing partner, Kenneth Albano, attended a fundraiser for Michael’s House, a sober-living group home in Ludlow. As he later reported back to his colleagues, Albano found himself moved by the work of the volunteers and residents at Michael’s House, and steered the firm toward the notion of giving to organizations that had not formerly been on Bacon Wilson’s radar for the firm’s regular annual contributions.

After gathering suggestions from members of the firm, first-quarter contributions of $1,250 were awarded to:

• Michael J. Dias Foundation, which provides aid and education for individuals and families on substance abuse, and help for those battling the disease of addiction;

• All Out Adventures, which promotes health, community, and independence for people with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and their families and friends through outdoor recreation;

• Amherst Survival Center, which connects people to food, clothing, healthcare, wellness, and community, primarily through volunteer efforts;

• Our Community Table: Westfield Soup Kitchen, a 100% volunteer organization dependent upon donations to provide a clean and safe environment to serve those in need; and

• Treehouse Foundation, an intergenerational community neighborhood where adoptive families and their children, older youth, and elders invest in one another’s health, dreams, and futures.

Bacon Wilson will be announcing recipients for the firm’s remaining quarterly giving in June, September, and December.

Attorney Jaime Margolis Joins Bacon Wilson

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Jaime Margolis has joined the firm. Margolis is an associate and a member of Bacon Wilson’s domestic relations and family law team.

Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, she worked in the Children and Family Law Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and as a clerk for the Justices of the Western Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts.

Founded in 1895, Bacon Wilson, P.C. is the largest firm in the Pioneer Valley, with 41 lawyers, and approximately 60 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. It has five locations — in Springfield, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and Westfield.

 

Bacon Wilson Focuses on Strategic Growth

By
Managing Partner Kenneth Albano
Law

Firm Resolve

Managing Partner Kenneth Albano

Managing Partner Kenneth Albano

As Bacon Wilson approaches its 125th anniversary next year, it can look back on plenty of history and change — with perhaps the past couple of decades representing the most dramatic evolutions in law. Through it all, the practice has remained remarkably steady, boasting numerous long-time attorneys and a measured growth strategy that has led Bacon Wilson to its position as the region’s largest law firm — one with its focus squarely on the future.

Just before he sat down with BusinessWest, Kenneth Albano was looking through an old file at Bacon Wilson, dating from 1993. Two things struck him about the letterhead.

One was the number of lawyers — just 16, compared to 42 today. The other striking thing was how many of those 16 are still practicing at Bacon Wilson today.

“Every lawyer except a few is still here,” said the firm’s managing partner, noting that he’s been at Bacon Wilson for 31 years, while the other two partners who spoke with BusinessWest for this story, Hyman Darling (38 years) and Donna Wexler (a relatively brief 17 years), have also built quite a bit of history with the firm.

“It says a lot about the fabric of the firm, that people stay here as long as they do.”

It says a lot about the fabric of the firm, that people stay here as long as they do,” Albano went on. “We have lawyers like Mike Katz and Paul Rothschild, who have been here 40-plus years and are still working hard every day.

“When we interview for associates, they always bring that to the top of the discussion, because it’s important for people to feel stability,” he noted. “With Millennials these days, it’s tough to get a straight answer as far as commitment, but we try to impress upon them that this can be your work family and your home for years to come. That’s what we bring to the table, and it’s been successful over the years.”

That stability has no doubt contributed to the firm’s growth, but so have a series of strategic mergers, which have led to Bacon Wilson establishing offices over the years in Northampton, Amherst, Westfield, and Hadley in addition to Springfield, where it has maintained a State Street address for almost 125 years.

“These are not offices where you call a phone number get a receptionist covering all the shared space,” Albano said. “These are standalone facilities with partners, associates, paralegals, and receptionists.”

At a time when it’s more difficult to find young talent (more on that later), the key has been smart expansion — not hiring just to hire or merging just to merge, he added. And those mergers have essentially been achieved through relationship building.

“We don’t buy practices,” he said. “So if you were looking to retire, you wouldn’t come to me and say, ‘I want X amount of dollars for my practice,’ because it’s a lose-lose situation for us. The win-win is, ‘sure, let’s talk, come be part of the Bacon Wilson family for three or four years, allow your clients to meld into our practice groups, and allow our lawyers to get to know your clients, and have a slow exit strategy.’ That’s how it’s worked in the past.”

Last year, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly ranked Bacon Wilson as the 42nd-largest law firm in Massachusetts, but it’s the largest in Western Mass. — and well-positioned, Albano said, to continue to tackle what has become an increasingly complex and demanding legal landscape.

Time to Change

Long-timers like Albano, Darling, and Wexler have seen their share of changes in the legal world, too.

“When I first came here, if somebody came in for an estate plan, it was a will,” said Darling, who has built a reputation as a premier authority in the region on estate planning. “Now, it’s a will, health proxy, power of attorney, homestead declaration, maybe a trust … we talk about things like end-of-life decisions and organ donors and cremation and anatomical gifts. Pet trusts, gun trusts. It’s evolved into things that none of us ever learned in law school.”

Donna Wexler and Hyman Darling

Donna Wexler and Hyman Darling have seen plenty of changes in their fields of real estate and elder care/estate planning, respectively.

That’s why he has gone from working with one shared secretary to leading a team of six estate-planning attorneys and 20 total staff, with responsibilities ranging from asset-protection planning and pet trusts to having his picture taken with a big check for the Massachusetts Lottery wall in Braintree when a winner decides to establish an anonymous trust.

“There’s special-needs planning that we didn’t do before,” he went on. “There was nothing called elder law when I came to the practice. And 10,000 people turn 60 every day — and we have a lot of them in Massachusetts.”

Technology has changed the way lawyers work as well, said Wexler, who specializes in real estate.

“When I started practicing, I would fill out forms in pen and the secretary would type them, then there were years when I typed them, then it evolved into the banks actually preparing them and e-mailing them. Now we’ve got cloud-based things,” she said, adding that increased government regulation, especially since the financial crisis in 2008, has led to new complexities to her work. “There’s more we need to know about what the regulations are and what we’re required to do.”

Then there’s the culture of constant communication — and the resulting rise in client expectations — that has shrunk timelines on projects in industries like construction, printing, and, yes, law. Albano recalled the days when he’d come back from lunch and hope to see a phone message on one those classic pink slips of paper waiting for him. Now, he returns to a couple dozen e-mails.

“There’s an expectation of immediate response, and it’s changed the pace of the practice tremendously,” Wexler said, to which Darling noted he’s had clients call asking to set up a will before they flew off on vacation. Tomorrow.

They all recognize, however, that those constant e-mails and calls represent something important: individuals who need help, and often at a difficult time in their life.

“I always tell people, if I get a call from someone I haven’t heard from in a while, they’re not calling to say, ‘how are you doing? Have a great day.’ They have a problem.”

“There’s an expectation of immediate response, and it’s changed the pace of the practice tremendously.”

As all three mentioned, those problems continue to evolve. Cannabis law in Massachusetts, for example, has unfurled an entire new world of issues that cross several practice areas. For instance, Albano represents a few municipalities seeking guidance on what kinds of restrictions they can place on marijuana businesses. Wexler has handled transactions for clients looking to purchase land for growing, while some of Darling’s clients have sought to invest in these facilities.

In fact, the sheer scope of Bacon Wilson’s expertise is a plus for clients, Albano said. “We don’t do high-end criminal work or security work. Everything else, we do. And we cross-sell each other to clients. The clients appreciate that.”

Wexler added that the attorneys tend to collaborate for the sake of clients, whether it’s seeking advice from a different department on a case or hearing a potential client’s request for services and recommending colleague with more specialized knowledge.

“When you hire Ken, you’re not just hiring him, you’re hiring 40 lawyers,” Darling said. “The firm is your lawyer. They’re all available.”

Well Suited

Albano said the three-legged stool holding up Bacon Wilson has always been litigation, real estate, and estate planning. “That’s always been with us. But when this firm was founded back in 1895, it was a commercial law firm, and we’ve maintained that commercial group from day one, representing so many Western Mass. banks. We survived all the mergers and all the new banks coming in. The key to our success is maintaining relationships. Relationships are so big in this market.”

So is staying educated and up to date on quickly evolving trends in a practice area.

For instance, even before the #metoo movement — but certainly in the wake of it — employment lawyers have seen a steep rise in harassment and discrimination cases, as well as thorny handbook issues to help clients sort out.

“We’ve had specialists come in here and give seminars on preventing those types of harassment claims,” he noted. “You have to stay up on it.”

In turn, Bacon Wilson’s attorneys are active in the community, writing articles (for publications such as BusinessWest) and conducting workshops on hot issues. That’s in addition to the many ways the firm’s lawyers support their favorite charities and volunteer on their boards.

“Everybody gives back,” Darling said. “We don’t have to ask them; they just realize it’s important.”

Wexler agreed. “When we bring new associates in, the ones I work with seem very excited. And most of them come in with a passion for one organization or another, and we encourage them to take the time to give to that organization. It’s catchy. And it’s exciting to be a part of that.”

That said, it can be a challenge to attract young talent to the firm in a competitive marketplace in an era when law-school enrollment is significantly down from where it was 20 years ago. But Bacon Wilson has developed a relationship with Western New England University School of Law, interviewing students for clerk positions and often hiring them full-time later on, while building similar pipelines with institutions like Bay Path University to find paralegals.

“The tough part is getting young lawyers to stay in Springfield, as opposed to Boston or New York,” Darling said. “But we’ve done a good job. The quality of life here is pretty good. They can make a living and have a house they can afford and be able to pay their school debt.”

Not to mention working at a firm that continues to rack up accolades each year — including “Best Law Firm” in the Valley Advocate Readers’ Poll every year since 2012, “Best Law Firm” in the Daily Hampshire Gazette Readers’ Choice poll every year since 2014, plenty of attorney citations in Best Lawyers in America, the 2018 Firm Impact Award from the Hampden County Bar Assoc. for pro bono work, and a raft of others — and, as Albano noted, a stable, venerable firm to call home for many years to come.

“We’ve grown in bits and pieces over the years,” said Albano, who would like to see the firm grow to more than 50 attorneys during his tenure. “It’s been a great run so far. We’ve had some hiccups along the way, as with any business, especially when the economy was bad. But the reason we’ve grown as well as we have is because the people who work here really enjoy coming to work.”

Joe Bednar can be reached at [email protected]