Niles, Barton & Wilmer history

1840 - George William Brown was a founder of the Baltimore Bar Library.

1847 - The first Maryland Digest, an encyclopedia of court opinions, was authored by three attorneys including George William Brown and Frederick W. Brune.

1860 - George William Brown served as Mayor of the City of Baltimore at the outbreak of the Civil War.

1867 - George William Brown took an active part in the Constitutional Convention.

1873 - George William Brown was elected to the post of Chief Judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City.

1885 - Chief Judge Brown wrote the opinion that admitted Everett J. Waring, the first black attorney, to practice in Maryland although the law said that an attorney had to be a white male 21 years of age.

1889 - The firm of Gans & Haman was formed in Baltimore.

1915 - Carlyle Barton left the firm and joined Judge Alfred Niles who had retired from the Bench to form the firm of Niles & Barton, which later became Niles & Barton, Wolff & Morrow.

1923 - A partner with the firm, Judge Emory H. Niles, helped found the American Maritime Cases, which continues to be the premier maritime case reporting service in the United States.

1941 - Gans & Haman, although under a different firm name at the time, was the first firm to start keeping time records to track how much time they spent on a case.

1948 - Markell, Veazey & Gans merged with Niles, Barton, Yost & Dankmeyer to become Niles, Barton, Gans & Markell.

1956 - Former partner, Judge Emory H. Niles, was the first judge in the City of Baltimore to hire an African-American law clerk.

1968 - Niles, Barton, Gans & Markell merged with the firm then known as Barton, Wilmer, Bramble, Addison & Seamans and adopted the name under which it presently conducts its practice - Niles, Barton & Wilmer.

1974 - Brune & Robertson merged with Niles, Barton & Wilmer.

1979 - Rich & Janney merged with Niles, Barton & Wilmer.

1988 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer returns to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor district at its current location in Harborplace Towers.

2000 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer formed a Technology Committee to continue its commitment to technology, provide training on the firm’s systems, and provide suggestions for future enhancements to maintain the firm’s cutting edge.

2006 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer formed a Diversity Committee to enhance the firm’s commitment to diversity and to promote the hiring and retention of minority professionals within the firm.

2007 - The Law Firm Alliance selects Niles, Barton & Wilmer as its exclusive law firm member for the state of Maryland.

2008 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer celebrates its 170th anniversary.

2012 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer institutes an annual Day of Community Service.

2013 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer celebrates its 175th anniversary of outstanding client service.

2017 - Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP hosts a successful Law Firm Alliance Fall Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.