Schenck Price - More Than a Century of Serving

Author: Christopher Reardon

In 1912 the two-person law firm King & Vogt opened its doors on the Morristown Green. One hundred seven years later Schenck, Price, Smith & King is home to 82 attorneys in Florham Park, Sparta, Paramus and Manhattan and has served more than 31,000 clients. Their first, Franklin Mutual Insurance, remains with the firm. Longevity and service are the hallmarks of Schenck, Price, Smith & King, which, in 2018 with the rollout of its new logo, became known as Schenck Price. 

​The firm offers a wide array of legal services to individuals, businesses, public institutions and charitable organizations, including health care, education, construction, trust and estate litigation, elder and special needs planning, corporate law, real estate, insurance defense, banking, commercial litigation, telecommunications, technology, environmental law, corporate governance and labor and employment law. This breadth of expertise is enhanced by a low turnover rate and environment of continuity, according to managing partner Gary Werner.

“One of the things I’m most proud of in this firm is we keep very close contact and relationships with all our former partners,” he said. “That’s great for me because I can pick up the phone and get the benefit of their knowledge…It’s invaluable. “I’m (also) proud of the fact that in the last year-and-a-half we have added attorneys…in a plethora of practice group areas,” he continued. “We’ve also gotten younger in the last three years and have more depth of technical skill.”

Law has changed dramatically over the last 107 years and continues to do so. In response, the attorneys at Schenck Price are constantly learning and updating their knowledge, according to Deborah Cmielewski, partner and member of the firm’s management committee. She cited an emerging regulation that would make it easier for health care providers to share information about opioid use.“We try to get out ahead of these sorts of things, so it keeps us educated and helps our clients,” she said.

Schenck Price also has a deep commitment to diversity, including a Women’s Initiative that provides female attorneys an opportunity to discuss issues important to them and a Diversity Committee  comprising only attorneys of color from the firm. Schenck Price employees frequently celebrate ethnic and cultural events, such as Holi, the Hindu festival of colors.

In addition, a deep commitment to the community has always been a cornerstone of Schenck Price’s mission, according to Ed Ahart, partner and former managing partner. Members of the firm serve in leadership positions in many sports groups, churches, charities and nonprofits, he added. Ahart himself previously served as the chair of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
“The involvement of our individual attorneys in the community (is) really the collective impact of all these folks,” he said. “Our job is not just a nine-to-five job to produce money. There is a responsibility to participate in the community in a meaningful way.” The firm’s community efforts are spearheaded by a Social Action Committee that is co-chaired by a firm administrator and an administrative assistant. “We’re very proud of that,” Werner said. “It’s not just attorney-driven.” All this – a commitment to excellence of service, a passion for community and diversity and a rich history – differentiate Schenck Price from other law firms in the state, the attorneys say. “The responsiveness, the efficiency, the value and the extreme competence at rates that are competitive,” Cmielewski said. “There’s only a half-dozen firms that have been around more than 100 years,” Ahart said. “They tend to be larger firms. We have intentionally kept ourselves in the medium range so we can be more responsive to our clients.” Added Werner, “We’re proud of where we came from in our 107 years. Former partners of our firm have served on the New Jersey Supreme Court, as distinguished political figures and as significant leaders in the community.”