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Fennemore Marks 140 Years of Achievement as It Builds the Future of Law

Business

Fennemore Marks 140 Years of Achievement as It Builds the Future of Law
Business

Business

Fennemore Marks 140 Years of Achievement as It Builds the Future of Law

2025-12-10 00:32 Last Updated At:16:49

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2025--

Fennemore, one of the fastest-growing Am Law 200 firms in the country, is celebrating 140 years of advancing what’s next in the legal profession. The firm is looking ahead—building new technologies, investing in its people, and creating solutions that help today’s businesses move forward.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251209073266/en/

Founded in 1885 in the Arizona Territory with just two lawyers, the firm has grown to 375 attorneys across 65 cities nationwide. That growth has been driven by the same resourcefulness and teamwork that defined its earliest lawyers—principles that guide how the firm supports clients navigating complex challenges and opportunities.

“Reaching 140 years is both a milestone and a reminder,” said James Goodnow, CEO of Fennemore. “Our founders built this firm with grit and a belief that progress comes from people working together. That spirit still fuels us today. We’re honoring our past by looking forward: by supporting our people, embracing new ideas, and building a firm designed for the future of legal work.”

A People-First Culture That Drives Client Success

Fennemore’s people-first philosophy has been a constant throughout its history, shaping both the firm’s culture and the experience clients receive. Today, the firm maintains industry-leading retention and a 97.2% attorney satisfaction rate, reflecting an environment where professionals stay, grow, and deliver long-term value to clients.

Connection and shared purpose remain central to that culture. Fennemore’s annual attorney retreat, leadership summit, and State of the Firm meetings strengthen collaboration, sharpen alignment, and help teams anticipate clients’ needs across industries and geographies.

The investment in its people shows in the work. Fennemore attorneys are regularly recognized in Best Lawyers in America ® (2026 Edition), Chambers USA, and Super Lawyers —a reflection of the firm’s commitment to supporting professionals who bring deep insight and care to their work.

Investing in Innovation and the Future of Legal Work

Fennemore continues to invest in tools, systems, and approaches that make legal work more efficient, accessible, and responsive to client needs.

Project BlueWave AI, the firm’s ground-up initiative to reimagine how legal services are delivered, is designed to surface insights faster, streamline workflows, and give attorneys more time to focus on strategy and client relationships. Drawing inspiration from “blue ocean strategies,” it reflects Fennemore’s commitment to discovering new opportunities and creating additional value.

Fennemore Forward, the firm’s flexible work platform, strengthens collaboration across offices and enables the firm to assemble the right teams for each matter regardless of geography. This approach ensures clients receive seamless, high-quality support from attorneys with the most relevant experience.

These investments reflect the firm’s belief that innovation is a core part of building a legal workplace and client experience ready for the future.

Strategic Growth With Client Needs in Mind

Fennemore’s evolution has been marked by steady, values-driven expansion aligned with where clients need the firm most. The firm continues to strengthen its capabilities in key markets, including five combinations announced in 2025 alone—most recently with San Antonio-based Schmoyer Reinhard LLP on December 1.

Fennemore’s trajectory has been driven by client demand and strategic investment. The firm’s revenue reached a projected $215 million in 2025, placing it among the top five fastest-growing Am Law 200 firms for year-over-year revenue growth four times in the past five years. This momentum reflects client demand, strong leadership, and a long-standing focus on aligning talent and resources with the needs of businesses nationwide.  

140 Years Forward

As Fennemore marks this 140-year milestone, its focus remains firmly on what comes next. Fennemore continues to build new capabilities, expand its reach, and develop tools that will shape the future of legal work. To learn more, visit www.FennemoreLaw.com.

About Fennemore

For 140 years, Am Law 200 law firm Fennemore has been blazing a trail of legal entrepreneurship. With an unrelenting commitment to innovation, collaboration, and people, Fennemore partners with businesses across the country to position them ahead of the competition. From pioneering the use of cutting-edge AI to building platforms that supercharge its teams, Fennemore is not just keeping pace—it’s accelerating ahead. With a storied history of client success and industry-leading job satisfaction, Fennemore is redefining what’s possible in the legal industry. For more information, visit FennemoreLaw.com.

Fennemore CEO James Goodnow and team celebrate 140 years of building what’s next in the legal profession.

Fennemore CEO James Goodnow and team celebrate 140 years of building what’s next in the legal profession.

Christians are celebrating Holy Week with processions and reenactments across the globe.

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter, known as Holy Week, is the most sacred time of the year for Christian faithful as they commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

A hooded Filipino flagellant, with a Virgin Mary tattoo, whips his back along a street as part of Maundy Thursday rituals to atone for sins or fulfill vows for an answered prayer on April 2, 2026 at Mandaluyong city, Philippines as they practice bizarre lenten rituals frowned upon by the church in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A hooded Filipino flagellant, with a Virgin Mary tattoo, whips his back along a street as part of Maundy Thursday rituals to atone for sins or fulfill vows for an answered prayer on April 2, 2026 at Mandaluyong city, Philippines as they practice bizarre lenten rituals frowned upon by the church in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Parishioners pray in a Mass during a Nazarene of Saint Paul procession honoring Jesus Christ during Holy Week in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Parishioners pray in a Mass during a Nazarene of Saint Paul procession honoring Jesus Christ during Holy Week in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Parishioners take part in a Holy Week procession in Puellaro, Ecuador, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Parishioners take part in a Holy Week procession in Puellaro, Ecuador, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Catholics take part in a Holy Week procession in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Catholics take part in a Holy Week procession in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Catholics take part in a Holy Week procession in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Catholics take part in a Holy Week procession in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gather at a mountain spring on the outskirts of Jerusalem to collect water for baking matzoh in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gather at a mountain spring on the outskirts of Jerusalem to collect water for baking matzoh in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Inmates perform a Stations of the Cross reenactment at Tacumbu prison in Asuncion, Paraguay, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Inmates perform a Stations of the Cross reenactment at Tacumbu prison in Asuncion, Paraguay, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

A church worker uses two bottles to sprinkle holy water on the palm fronds of devotees during blessing rites outside the Antipolo Cathedral in Antipolo city, Rizal province Philippines as they observe Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A church worker uses two bottles to sprinkle holy water on the palm fronds of devotees during blessing rites outside the Antipolo Cathedral in Antipolo city, Rizal province Philippines as they observe Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Christian devotees hold palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession marking the sixth and final Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Christian devotees hold palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession marking the sixth and final Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Catholics stand next to a crucifix of Jesus Christ during a Friday of Sorrows procession marking the beginning of Holy Week observances in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Catholics stand next to a crucifix of Jesus Christ during a Friday of Sorrows procession marking the beginning of Holy Week observances in Panama City's Casco Viejo, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Pakistani Christians attend a Palm Sunday Mass at St. Anthony Church in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistani Christians attend a Palm Sunday Mass at St. Anthony Church in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Christians walk with palm branches during Palm Sunday in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Christians walk with palm branches during Palm Sunday in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Penitents of the "Pollinita" brotherhodod take part in a Holy Week procession in Cabra, southern Spain, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Penitents of the "Pollinita" brotherhodod take part in a Holy Week procession in Cabra, southern Spain, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Catholic nuns walk during a Palm Sunday procession in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Catholic nuns walk during a Palm Sunday procession in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Catholic children representing angels pose for photos prior to join the Palm Sunday commemoration in Santa Cruz Chinautla, Guatemala, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Catholic children representing angels pose for photos prior to join the Palm Sunday commemoration in Santa Cruz Chinautla, Guatemala, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Catholic faithfuls collect palm fronds to commemorate Palm Sunday, outside St. Micheal's Cathedral church, in Minna, Nigeria, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Catholic faithfuls collect palm fronds to commemorate Palm Sunday, outside St. Micheal's Cathedral church, in Minna, Nigeria, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Pope Leo XIV caresses a child after presiding over Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the Catholic feast of Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV caresses a child after presiding over Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the Catholic feast of Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Llamas wait to be sold on Palm Sunday at the Feria de Ramos, in El Alto, Bolivia, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Llamas wait to be sold on Palm Sunday at the Feria de Ramos, in El Alto, Bolivia, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A priest distributes the Holy Communion during the Palm Sunday Mass at the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic church in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A priest distributes the Holy Communion during the Palm Sunday Mass at the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic church in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Christian clergy attend a Palm Sunday Mass in Gaza City Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Christian clergy attend a Palm Sunday Mass in Gaza City Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A woman and her dog attend a Mass on Palm Sunday, marking the start of Holy Week, at the Divine Child Church in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

A woman and her dog attend a Mass on Palm Sunday, marking the start of Holy Week, at the Divine Child Church in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Priests attend Mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the Catholic feast of Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Priests attend Mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the Catholic feast of Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Penitents of the 'Pollinita' brotherhood, dressed in a typical Apostle costumes pose for a picture ahead the Holy Week procession in Cabra, southern Spain, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Penitents of the 'Pollinita' brotherhood, dressed in a typical Apostle costumes pose for a picture ahead the Holy Week procession in Cabra, southern Spain, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Catholic worshipers carry their children on their shoulders as they march in a procession during a Palm Sunday Mass in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Catholic worshipers carry their children on their shoulders as they march in a procession during a Palm Sunday Mass in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Women wearing traditional "mantillas" of the 'Franciscana de Pasion' brotherhood attend a Holy Week procession in Lucena, southern Spain, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Women wearing traditional "mantillas" of the 'Franciscana de Pasion' brotherhood attend a Holy Week procession in Lucena, southern Spain, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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