Boston Litigation Firm Founded by YLS Alums

BOSTON, MA − Trial attorneys William Fick '01 and Daniel Marx '02, together with retired federal judge Nancy Gertner '71 (of counsel), have founded Fick & Marx LLP, a boutique law firm of tenacious advocates with extensive experience in criminal defense, civil litigation and appeals. “We have been fortunate over the years to work in many wonderful offices and try cases with many amazing lawyers,” said Marx. “Now, we are excited to have created a new firm together that reflects our view of law practice as a vocation, not only a business.” “We share a passion for crafting unique and effective solutions to the most difficult legal challenges our clients face both in and out of court,” added Fick. “Since I know Bill’s and Dan’s work well, I could not be more delighted to collaborate with them in an ‘of counsel’ capacity,” said Gertner.

By establishing a lean boutique practice, Fick & Marx is able to deliver “big firm” excellence with “small firm” efficiency. Fick, Marx, and Gertner bring their considerable experience, elite credentials and relentless drive to this new venture. “We have built Fick & Marx to provide personalized service and, at the same time, deliver unparalleled value to our clients,” Fick said. “We pride ourselves on our creative approach to litigation,” he added, “and we try to be similarly innovative about our business.” Marx noted, “In rethinking what it means to be a law firm—from how we serve our clients to how we charge for our services—we always want to align our interests with those of our clients.”

Fick, who graduated from Yale Law School in 2001, previously served for a decade as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Boston, where he represented hundreds of defendants facing federal charges. Fick was co-counsel for the defense in two of the most significant criminal trials in recent Boston history: the Boston Marathon bombing case and the prosecution of theformer Massachusetts Probation Commissioner based on alleged public corruption. He has tried multiple federal cases to verdict and has obtained acquittals or dismissals of charges involving fraud, regulatory offenses, computer crimes, firearms, narcotics, immigration, bank robbery, child exploitation and sex offender commitment. He also successfully briefed and argued multiple appeals in the First Circuit. Before entering public service, Fick worked in the Litigation Department at Foley Hoag LLP and also served as law clerk to Judge Gertner. Fick, who is fluent in Russian, lived in Moscow for much of the 1990s, where he created and managed projects to develop early-stage internet access across the former Soviet Union. “It was a great privilege to serve in the Federal Public Defender Office, a crucible that forged my identity as a trial lawyer,” Fick reflected. “I look forward to deploying that experience in a broader variety of cases and places from the platform of our new firm.”

Marx, who graduated from Yale Law School in 2002, was most recently a partner in the Litigation Department at Foley Hoag LLP, where he worked in the White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Practice Group. Before returning home to Boston, Marx also worked in the litigation departments of two leading national law firms: Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York. After law school, Marx clerked on the federal appeals and trial courts in New York for Judges Reena Raggi and Allyne Ross. Throughout his litigation career, Marx has aggressively and effectively represented a wide range of companies, non-profit institutions, senior executives and other individuals in criminal, regulatory and civil matters. He has substantial experience in the financial services, health care, pharmaceutical and technology industries as well as with public and private academic institutions. Marx has successfully represented clients in federal and state court at both the trial and appellate levels. He has also assisted clients with numerous internal investigations, many of which were strictly confidential. During more than a decade in private law firms, Marx has maintained an active pro bono practice, defending indigent defendants and civil rights plaintiffs. “For me, the chance to work with Bill and Nancy, two brilliant bulldog litigators, is a once-in-a-lifetime professional opportunity.”

Gertner, who graduated from Yale Law School in 1971 and later returned to teach there as well as at Harvard Law School, served as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 1994 to 2011. As of counsel to Fick & Marx, Gertner resumes her distinguished litigation career, which began when she founded Silverglate & Gertner in 1973, and continued when she joined Dwyer, Collora & Gertner LLP in 1990. As a trial lawyer, Gertner earned a reputation as a talented, fearless and effective advocate who defended high-stakes criminal cases and litigated ground-breaking civil matters. She has written extensively (including her memoir, In Defense of Women), spoken around the world, and received countless awards (including the ABA’s Thurgood Marshall Award). Today, as at the start of her career, Gertner remains driven by her commitment to fairness, equality and justice in the law.

These three lawyers—Fick, Marx and Gertner—also have personal bonds that go back nearly 20 years. When Gertner sat on the bench in Boston, Fick served as her law clerk. And when Gertner taught a course on federal sentencing at Yale, Marx and Fick were her students. In these roles, Gertner has been a mentor to both Fick and Marx. Now, their long-standing professional relationships have blossomed into a new law firm.