Coughlin & Gerhart relocates Bainbridge office

BAINBRIDGE — Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP started the month of March with a short move to a new office down the street in Bainbridge in Chenango County. The move better positions the law firm to serve its clients in the area, Rachel Abbott, the firm’s managing partner, says. Coughlin & Gerhart moved out of its old office on March 1 and opened in the new one on March 4. The new office at 109 N. Main St. is just one-tenth of a mile away from the prior location at 29 N. Main St. but offers much more to both the firm and its clients, she says. The law firm’s lease at its old space was up, Abbott says, so Coughlin & Gerhart began looking around just to see what else was out there. While functional, the former space in a renovated house included stairs and didn’t include off-street parking. The new office, which shares space with Germond Chiropractic Healthcare and Wellness Center, has a stepless entry and a wheelchair ramp along with a better office flow for the law firm, Abbott says. “This is just a better space for the clients to come to,” she notes. Along with improved visibility, the new Bainbridge office also includes ample on-site parking, making things easier for staff and clients alike. On top of that, the new office is bigger, providing room for the growing practice, Abbott says. Since the Bainbridge office opened around 2011, it has doubled in size. “For a small, rural area, we’ve actually grown quite a bit,” she says. The firm has doubled the number of attorneys from two to four and also has three paralegals and three secretaries on staff. Abbott attributes the office’s growth to several factors, including Coughlin & Gerhart’s client-focused, community-driven value system. “A lot of attorneys are retiring and closing their offices,” she adds. New attorneys also seem reluctant to set up shop in more rural areas. Coughlin & Gerhart is more than happy to fill that void, Abbott says, bringing its full array of legal services to Bainbridge and surrounding areas. The firm’s practice areas include business and banking, litigation and trial, labor and employment, real estate, trusts and estates, accident and injury, workers’ compensation and disability, and public law. While small, the Bainbridge office is usually bustling, Abbott notes. “It’s got a lot of energy.” The office sees a lot of foot traffic with clients frequently popping in to drop off paperwork or request an appointment. Each year, the Bainbridge office opens anywhere from 750 to 1,000 files a year, although some of those may be for repeat clients, she says. “You never know who might show up on a given day with a legal issue,” Abbott says. Although it boasts a small-town feel, the Bainbridge office has the full Coughlin & Gerhart firm and the expertise of its more than 50 attorneys across all its locations behind it, Abbott notes. “It’s really a unique way of doing things,” she says of the law firm’s ability to pull resources from its larger offices when needed. Headquartered in Binghamton, Coughlin & Gerhart has more than 50 attorneys on staff and has additional offices in Cortland, Hancock, Ithaca, Walton, Montrose, and Owego.