by Traci Gregory DeLore

12/14/2009 10:00:00 AM

     UTICA - Lawrence Golden, a practicing lawyer for nearly 40 years, found a way to breathe new life and enthusiasm into his work. Golden opened his own practice, The Golden Law Firm, which allows him to focus on the area of law he likes best - litigation.

     Golden was a partner with Stephen Lockwood in the Lockwood & Golden firm from 1988 until the partners split amicably over the summer. "We were finding the areas of our practice were becoming divergent and not as compatible,"Golden says. "Steve's practice was primarily in the transactional area." Lockwood handled tasks such as real-estate transactions and health-related counsel. "I kind of have gravitated towards the litigation area of the practice," Golden says. "That's the area I find most exciting and most enjoyable." 

     Golden retained the firm's offices at 1412 Genesee St. in Utica along with staff attorney B. Brooks Benson, who worked at Lockwood & Golden for 20 years. "He basically remained with me because he was also very heavily involved in the litigation cases," Golden says. Benson is also proficient with Social Security, disability, veteran's benefits, and workers'-compensation issues, he adds. Golden also employs a paralegal and bookkeeper.

     Golden and his wife, Jo Ann Golden, have owned the 4,000-square-foot building since the late 1970s. The firm uses about 2,500 square feet on the first floor, and Golden is considering leasing out the second floor. 

     Lockwood now operates his own practice, Stephen L. Lockwood P.C., at 285 Genesee Street.  When the partners split up the firm, they also took their respective caseloads with them, so Golden started his new firm on Aug. 20 with a number of clients already in place. Now, he hopes to grow his practice further. "I think we'd like to see the litigation end grow even more than it has at this point," he says.

     Golden declined to discuss the specific number of clients or cases he handles. He'd also like to acquire a mix of other legal work such as real-estate or other general-law areas to balance things. Having a mix of cases ensures a steadier revenue stream, as most litigation cases don't generate any fees unless the attorney settles or wins a case. Clients typically pay hourly fees on a steady basis for transactional work. "This way, you've got a cash-flow element to keep you going day to day," Golden says.  

     He thinks his firm (www.thegoldenlawfirm.com) has the edge over the competition on several levels. Some larger firms located in the Utica area - such as Martin, Harding and Mazotti - are simply satellite offices. People see the partners of those firms appearing in television commercials, Golden notes, but that's not the person they will deal with if they call the office. That's not the case at his firm, he says. "The person that the client talks to first in the office, the owner of the practice, is the person who's going to be handling the case," he says. He even created new business cards to help drive home that point. "My picture is on the card so they know who they're going to be dealing with," he says. Golden's other strength is his experience, that can give him an edge over other, less-seasoned lawyers. "I bring to the practice 38 years of practicing law so that a client who comes in here is going to be dealing with someone who has a wealth of experience … they can benefit by," he says. That's particularly important in litigation where an attorney has to be able to think fast.  And while he is experienced, Golden says he's not stuck in a rut. The new practice is exciting and invigorating, he adds. "I don't like to do the same thing day in and day out," he says. "I want new challenges."
And he's finding them in the variety of cases his firm is handling. "We're finding ourselves very busy with all kinds of litigation, particularly in the personal-injury area."

      The current staff is capable of handling some growth, but Golden says he'll add employees if needed.

      Golden is a 1969 graduate of Buffalo Law School. Along with operating his firm, he serves on the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Wrongful Convictions and is a past president of the Oneida County Bar Association. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association.

      Benson is a 1986 graduate of Case Western Reserve Law School and is a member of the Oneida County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives, and several other legal associations or organizations.