Kelley Drye & Warren history

In 1838 it became Waterman & Barney after Mulligan died and William Dwight Waterman teamed up with Barney.

1841: Barney & Mitchell becomes the new name.

1849: Firm is renamed Barney & Butler.

1859: Partnership is renamed Barney, Butler & Parsons.

1874: Partnership adopts the new name of Butler, Stillman & Hubbard.

In 1875 name partner William Allen Butler helped establish the Central Trust Company of New York, which became a long-term client.

1896: Partnership's new name is Butler, Notman, Joline & Mynderse.

Kelley had graduated from Harvard University and then the Harvard Law School in 1909, worked for New York's Cravath law firm, and served as Wilson's and Harding's assistant secretary of the Treasury Department before he joined the firm.

In 1921 the firm represented The Guaranty Trust Company when it negotiated with the government of Peru for a $50 million loan, but that country was not financially sound enough to warrant such a large loan.

With the law firm's help, Chrysler Corporation in 1928 acquired Dodge Brothers and thus became the nation's third largest auto maker.

In 1965 the law firm began representing the New York Giants, which led to work for other NFL teams, the National Football League itself, and the NFL Management Council that represented the players in collective bargaining.

1969: Firm is renamed Kelley, Drye, Warren, Clark, Carr & Ellis after a merger.

In October 1974 the law firm included 84 lawyers, eight accountants, and 115 staff members.

1979: Merger with Cross, Brodrick & Chipman results in new offices in Stamford and Danbury, Connecticut.

1981: Firm starts a Washington, D.C. office.

1982: Miami office is opened; New York headquarters are moved to 101 Park Avenue.

That foundation, which always kept a member of the Joline or successor firms on its board of directors, started with little money but by 1985 had $225 million in assets.

In 1998 it was number 89 with $120.5 million gross revenue, and in 1999 it declined to number 96 based on its gross revenue of $127.5 million. Based on its 1997 gross revenue of $110.5 million, the firm ranked number 85.