Waterford legal firm Nolan Farrell & Goff celebrate 50 years in business
Pictured at Mount Congreve at Nolan Farrell & Goff 50th Anniversary. Photograph: Patrick Browne
Waterford legal firm Nolan Farrell & Goff have celebrated 50 years in business at their premises in Newtown Lodge.
The firm was formally established in 1975 and is one of the largest provincial practices in Ireland.
The firm has enjoyed several family links over the years, within the partnership and staff, as well as intergenerational relationships with its clients.
Managing partner Graham Farrell said: “The fact the firm has become and remains so strong is evidence of the farsightedness and ambition of the founding partners.
"The fact it has survived and grown through the highs and lows of the past five decades is down to the tremendous work ethic of the many staff members over the years and, of course, the support of our loyal clients.”
The firm began as George A Nolan and Co. in 1914 before becoming Farrell and Farrell in 1920.
Farrell and Farrell merged with Jim Mulhern in 1975 to become Nolan Farrell and Goffs, and the new firm moved to Newtown.
Iain Farrell later spoke about how the firm was created.
Referring to John P. C. Goff, Iain Farrell later said he knew from the start he wanted to team up with him.
“There was more than a day’s work in him. On the question of merging our two offices, he (Goff) was affable as long as I could win over George Nolan.
I wanted it to be Farrell Nolan & Goff, as there were two Farrells, George, wanted it to be Nolan Farrell and Goff because he was older. So he offered to toss for it, and I lost!” said Mr Farrell.
The firm currently has a large team including, eight partners, five solicitors, five legal executives, an office manager and a large team of skilled and experienced administrative staff.
On January 1 2021, Nolan Farrell & Goff became Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP.
Donal O Connell is a remaining member of the original 1975 "dream team”.
He recalls being a young solicitor when the amalgamation took place, and particularly Jim Mulhern’s calm approach in “maintaining order in those heady early days”.
Donal was subsequently admitted to the partnership in 1979 and obviously learned something from Jim as he steered a steady ship through various ups and downs for nineteen years in his role as Managing Partner.
