About Harris Beach
Firm Culture
The Harris Beach culture is a shared set of values and beliefs that shape the behavior of the organization and its people. It defines who we are and where we are going. Our firm culture has allowed us to be successful for over 165 years, and it is integral to continuing our success for the next 165 years.
COMMITMENT TO OUR MISSION, VALUES, AND CLIENTS
Our firm’s shared mission statement is “Creating Client Solutions that Exceed Expectations”. Our shared values are integrity, respect, teamwork, ingenuity, and inclusion. In everything we do, we are committed to these guiding principles:
Inclusion and Diversity
Harris Beach makes inclusion and diversity a priority. We believe the different perspectives of our diverse people strengthen our organization and our work. We strive for inclusion and diversity within the ranks of our attorneys and staff, as well as among our vendors and the clients we support.
Balance in Life
Our attorneys and staff have an unwavering work ethic. We work hard to provide the best solutions – legal and non-legal consulting – for our clients. At the same time, our personal relationships are of paramount importance to us, and provide crucial support for our individual and collective success. Harris Beach strives to allow each of us to find our own balance in life and to provide flexibility to make that balance achievable. We believe a healthy perspective demands taking our work, but not always ourselves, seriously.
Education
We believe in continuing education on many levels. We pursue internal and external opportunities to learn from and to share knowledge with one another. We recognize that we all have knowledge to share and value the strength that shared knowledge builds.
Community
Each of us belongs to a community outside Harris Beach. We believe that being a good citizen means giving something back to the communities in which we live and work. Our attorneys and staff get involved in their communities – both personally and through the firm’s activities.
Change
Recognizing we live in a dynamic world, we embrace change as an opportunity to grow and continually look at ourselves and our organization to ensure we are evolving and actively participating in shaping the world around us.
Edward Harris caught the attention of Rochester, New York attorney, Henry Ives, shortly after he and his family arrived in Rochester from England in 1850. Based on the recommendation of a friend, who was impressed with Edward Harris’ work ethic and enthusiasm, Henry Ives hired the young man as a clerk for $1 a week. Edward took an immediate interest in his mentor’s profession. At the age of 21, he was admitted to practice law based on his apprenticeship with Henry Ives and became a named partner of Ives & Harris, as was the custom of the time. Edward quickly established himself in the legal community when he won a case on appeal in 1860 with a one-page brief filed on behalf of his clients. At issue was a negligence claim filed by individuals who shipped goods along the Erie Canal against the contractor responsible for maintaining the canal’s towpath. The case helped to establish Edward as strong advocate of those who were conducting commerce on one of New York state’s most important business transportation routes. In 1871, Henry Ives passed away and Edward kept the Ives name in place until 1884 when he invited his son, Albert, to join him in the practice. The father and son team changed the name of the firm to Harris and Harris. A well-recognized lawyer among the banking community, Edward was elected a trustee of Rochester Savings Bank in 1879, a predecessor to the Royal Bank of Scotland. In 1892, he handled the incorporation of Security Trust Company, a predecessor of Bank of America through acquisitions. Edward served on a number of professional and community organizations, including as the fourth president of the Monroe County Bar Association in 1897. In 1911, Edward Harris, who was known as the “Dean of the Rochester Bar,” passed away. In a show of respect for his contributions to the legal community, the courts closed for one day.
