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About

Finn Dixon & Herling was founded in 1987 based on a conviction that the firm would succeed if we provided outstanding legal services, prioritized our clients’ needs, and adhered to certain core values: a commitment to the highest professional standards, a dedication to working as a team, and a concern for the welfare of our clients, attorneys, and staff. Our founders believed we could be faithful to those values while providing the highest quality legal representation. They called it “doing it right.”

OUR HISTORY

A look back at the evolution of Finn Dixon & Herling.
January 1987

Harold Finn, Brett Dixon, and Michael Herling announce the formation of Finn Dixon & Herling.

February 1987

FDH organizes a winter ski trip on the Super Bowl weekend, starting an annual tradition.

February 1991

FDH represents Weiss Peck & Greer in its acquisition of Meridian Aggregates Company, putting the firm at the forefront of private equity M&A work.

March 1992

Harold Finn argues and wins Fort Gratiot Sanitary Landfill, Inc. v. Mich. Dept. of Natural Resources at the U.S. Supreme Court. David Albin joins him on the brief.

June 2000

FDH starts its summer associate program. Jason Boyea becomes the first summer associate.

May 2003

Chambers USA ranks FDH in its top tier (Band One) for corporate/M&A firms, where it is still ranked today.

February 2006

FDH counsel William Tong takes leave of the firm to run for office, becoming the first Asian-American to serve in Connecticut’s General Assembly, eventually becoming attorney general of Connecticut in 2018.

March 2007

Commencing in March, several attorneys and staff, including FDH managing partner Christopher Craig, join the firm from Paul Hastings.

January 2012

FDH partner Donna Nelson Heller is appointed by Gov. Dan Malloy to the Connecticut Superior Court.

December 2017

FDH announces the addition of Andrew Calamari, former director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.

June 2018

Deirdre Daly joins FDH after serving as U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

March 2020

Chambers USA ranks FDH in its top tier (Band One) for white-collar crime and government investigations, where it is still ranked today.

January 2022

FDH observes its 35th anniversary.

1987
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2003
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2012
2017
2018
2019
2020
2022

Although FDH has grown considerably over the last 35 years, we maintain our founders’ commitment to “doing it right”—for our clients, our team, and our profession. We are never complacent; we strive to stay ahead of the competition to ensure that FDH provides excellent legal services for our clients while adhering to our core values.     

OUR CLIENTS

FDH’s success stems from our ability to deliver sophisticated legal counsel to our clients while offering efficiencies and personalized service that larger peer firms cannot match. We measure our success by the depth and breadth of our client relationships and are honored to serve as counsel to some of the country’s most prominent private equity and venture capital firms. Chambers USA has named FDH a top-ranked corporate and M&A firm every year since 2003, when such rankings began, and a top-ranked white-collar litigation firm since 2020.  

OUR TEAM

FDH has adopted a team-centered approach to serving our clients’ legal needs, drawing from a deep bench of experienced attorneys with diverse areas of practice. We value our people and strive to promote a healthy work-life balance for our attorneys and staff. Indeed, our respect for our people is central to who we are. Despite the firm’s significant growth, we maintain the same camaraderie that has always infused FDH through firm traditions like our annual ski trip, client events, and firm retreats. The firm’s culture allows us to regularly attract top-notch talent, including a former U.S. attorney for Connecticut, senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and attorneys from Am Law 50 law firms.  

OUR PROFESSION

FDH adheres to the highest ethical standards and takes our responsibilities seriously as members of the legal profession. We view the practice of law as a privilege that brings with it a responsibility to give back to our community. We have an extensive pro bono practice, through which we provide legal assistance to veterans and refugees, advice to local non-profits, and serve as counsel in federal civil rights lawsuits. We are equally and deeply committed to promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion in the legal profession, and are among a group of midsize law firms nationwide seeking Mansfield Rule certification. We are proud to count among FDH alumni a current Connecticut state court judge and the Attorney General of Connecticut.

The common thread that runs through our client work, our team approach, and our firm culture is a commitment to “doing it right”—providing the highest quality legal services while continuing to adhere to the core values on which FDH was founded.

LIFE AT FDH

Admin 2023_2

FDH partners serving employees our annual Admin Day lunch in April 2023.

Fireside Chat

Kate Dougherty interviews Brett Dixon at an FDH “Fireside Chat.”

WIN Golf

WIN’s popular women’s golf clinic.

Habitat for Humanity

FDH volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

LCD Event

FDH and the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity.

Habitat for Humanity

FDH volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

AW1_6439

FDH holds a women’s networking event at Bluemercury.

boys and girls club

Our attorneys and staff at the Stamford Boys and Girls Club 5k Run in May 2022.

clambake

Our staff and attorneys enjoying a summer clambake at the Manursing Island Club in Rye, NY in June 2022.