Firm History

Chris Duggan and Scott Smith founded Smith & Duggan in 1989 on the belief that legal representation of the highest caliber and ethical standards should be the hallmark of client service. The firm soon became known as Smith Duggan & Johnson when Paul Johnson joined, but shortened its name to Smith & Duggan LLP, when Paul left the firm to become Chief Legal Counsel to the Governor of Massachusetts in 1996. As Smith & Duggan LLP, the firm continued to grow its downtown Boston office and establish its reputation for excellence in trial advocacy, particularly with cases involving products liability and complex litigation, while at the same time expanding the range of legal services it offered. The firm opened is suburban location in Lincoln, Massachusetts in 2004 to better serve its clients along the Route 128/I-95 belt. Barbara Hayes Buell joined the practice in 2009 and merged her firm, Bloom & Buell, founded in 1974, with Smith Duggan, which allowed the firm to provide comprehensive legal services to healthcare providers and charter schools. In 2011, the firm changed its name to Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP when Paul Rufo and Andrew Stempler joined the firm from Kutchin & Rufo P.C. and the firm cemented the full range of legal services it provides to businesses, including commercial real estate services.

Today, our clients continue to benefit from the innovative solutions we provide to their legal challenges and our wide experience for over two decades working with individuals, governments, insurers, and businesses, including Fortune 500® companies, regional firms, family businesses, and firms with more discrete markets. Our senior lawyers have more than twenty to forty years in practice, many having previously worked at large Boston law firms or as government attorneys before joining the firm. We have a keen appreciation for the adept legal analysis, strategic thinking and focused energy that are required to meet the most demanding legal challenges.

Commitment to Public Service

Smith Duggan takes its commitment to public service and good citizenship seriously. Smith Duggan attorneys volunteer their time to serve on a number of local and state boards and commissions, and various charitable, cultural, educational, and other non-profit organizations and foundations.