Yesterday, to mark the 10-year anniversary of our firm, I was pleased to make two significant announcements to our employees. First, the employees learned of the company name change from Simmons Cooper LLC to Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP – or the Simmons Hanly Conroy, for short. Second, I was able to share the good news to employees that we are relocating our headquarters from East Alton, Ill., to Alton, Ill.
Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP, which will be referred to as the “Simmons Hanly Conroy” by clients and employees, will continue the firm’s legacy as a leading national law firm in the fight against mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The new name is an important step as we prepare for our second decade of meeting clients’ needs. The new name acknowledges the firm’s leadership. Perry Browder, Ted Gianaris, Michael Angelides, and John Barnerd are four of the fourteen partners at the firm. We feel it is important for our firm to formally identify and acknowledge those who our clients, attorneys, and employees rely upon to lead the firm at the highest level.
Bringing all of our employees together under one roof has long been a goal. The relocation of our headquarters from East Alton, Ill., to Alton, Ill., will allow us to consolidate all employees into one building at 401 Alton Street, formerly occupied by Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. Currently, Simmons Hanly Conroy’s employees occupy six buildings in different locations throughout the East Alton area. This move, we believe, will make us even more effective and efficient for our clients.
We purchased the Alton building last week. We will rehab the building before employees move into it by the end of 2010. The building will be a great fit for our needs, and we’re looking forward to coming to Alton.
Our 10-year anniversary has also been a time to reaffirm our ongoing commitment to help lead the long-term fight for victims of mesothelioma – a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos – and other asbestos-related diseases inside and outside the courtroom. Such cases were the firm’s focus when we opened the doors in 1999.
Our pledge is to provide representation to victims suffering from what were and are preventable, life-ending illnesses. We will also continue to stand as a leading national advocate in raising public awareness and funds for research to find better care, and, ultimately, a cure, for mesothelioma. We will continue to fight for the rights of victims of asbestos-related diseases and their families, as well as generate awareness, increase education, and help raise funds for research to find better care and, hopefully, a cure for mesothelioma.
