Gorham Law
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Firm History

Welcome to Our Law Firm: Five Generations,
165 Years of Law Practice Serving Rhode Island



Simon S. Lapham
Simon S. Lapham, Esq. ca. 1895
Simon S. Lapham's law office
Simon S. Lapham's law office 4 Weybosset Street ca. 1900

Simon Sayles Lapham, a lawyer and farmer from Burrillville, established our firm in 1855. Simon practiced law at 54 Custom House Street in Providence from 1855 until 1898, when his son, Simon Sayles Lapham, Jr. ("Simon Jr.") took over the Lapham family law practice. Simon Jr. carried on the practice at 4 Weybosset Street. In 1925 Simon's nephew, Sayles Gorham, a graduate of Harvard Law School, joined the Lapham law practice at 4 Weybosset Street. In 1927 the firm of Lapham & Gorham was established. Sayles Gorham practiced law at 4 Weybosset and then 58 Weybosset Street from 1925 until 1976. Sayles developed a successful practice, representing a broad spectrum of clients from every walk of life, but was best known as the attorney for one of RI's titans of industry, George S. Champlin for many years, eventually guiding the Champlin family in its creation of the Champlin Foundations.

 



Sayles Gorham
Sayles Gorham, Esq. 1975
Bradford Gorham
Bradford Gorham, Esq. 1998

Two of Sayles' sons, John Gorham (Harvard Law School class of 1957) and later Bradford Gorham (Harvard Law School cum laude class of 1964) joined Sayles as soon as they graduated from law school. Together Sayles, John and Bradford became Gorham & Gorham. The firm carried on a successful practice at 58 Weybosset Street Providence from 1960 until 1998, and in Scituate RI from 1985 (at first as a 'satellite,' suburban office) until the present. The firm moved all operations to its own Scituate office building, permanently, in 1998.

In 1989 Bradford's son Nicholas Gorham (Boston University School of Law cum laude class of 1989), and in 1996 Bradford's daughter Jane Gorham Gurzenda (Boston University School of Law cum laude class of 1996) joined Gorham & Gorham, thus completing the fifth generation of the Lapham-Gorham family law practice. Nick and Jane have each carried on the tradition of hard work and excellence at Gorham & Gorham.

 



Today Gorham & Gorham consists of four attorneys located at our own suburban office building (12 minutes from Providence, with free parking) at 25 Danielson Pike in Scituate RI. The firm continues to enjoy a superb reputation and thriving practice all over RI with deep, institutional experience in nearly every aspect of Rhode Island's legal system. No other law firm in RI comes close to Gorham & Gorham's historical span of excellence--more than 165 years. Our firm takes pride in offering professional advice and passionate advocacy to every person who places their trust with us. You will note instantly when you call us that our attorneys take every call, never screen calls and always listen, carefully, patiently and insightfully. This has been the firm's 165 year formula for success, and we are proud to carry it on every single day with our clients. Call 401-647-1400 or write to Trish@Gorhamlaw.com and you will see what we mean.

…and Gorham & Gorham today: Put our experience to work for you!