The History of DuBois, Sheehan, Hamilton, Weissman & Oddo, LLC
In 1938, Herbert G. DuBois, two years out of Penn Law School, opened an office for the practice of law at 130 North Broadway, Camden, New Jersey. Herb maintained a solo practice there, with time out for military duty, until 1948, when he was joined by his brother, Josiah E. DuBois, Jr. Joe had graduated from Penn Law School two years before Herb and elected to pursue a career in government service. What a distinguished career it was! Joe was selected to be a war crimes prosecutor for our government and spent two years prosecuting successfully in Nuremberg, Germany. Before the war, Joe served as an assistant to Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, where he learned enough about the peril of concentration camp detainees to become a catalyst for the establishment of the War Refugee Board. Many years later, the unassuming Joe received many honors for saving countless lives from the horrors of the Holocaust. He has been the subject of television specials and now has a scholarship endowed by the Jewish Federation memorializing his courageous actions.
In 1950, Madison S. DuBois, a 1939 Penn Law School graduate who had gravitated to a practice in Philadelphia, joined his brothers at DuBois & DuBois. As the firm grew, there became a need for larger quarters. When a stately, three story stone and brick townhouse located at 511 Cooper Street in Camden came on the market in 1954, the firm found a new home. The building, built in 1883 and historically registered as the Dr. Henry F. Hunt House, remains the firm’s main office to this day.
Also in 1954, Camden native, Henry C. Maiale, joined the firm as an associate. In 1959, Hank Maiale became a partner in the firm, which changed its name to DuBois, Maiale & DuBois. The firm remained unchanged, providing special skill in the area of real estate, until 1975, when Edward D. Sheehan joined as an associate. Ed had worked at the firm during law school as a law clerk. After graduation, Ed served a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Peter J. Devine, Jr. a Chancery Court Judge.
In 1976, the firm grieved as Hank Maiale tragically passed away. Ed Sheehan had to pick up much of Hank’s workload, and his hard work was rewarded in 1980 when the firm made him a partner in what became DuBois, Maiale, Sheehan & DuBois. Then, in 1981, the firm expanded in both size and in the fields of practice when the Camden firm of Rowand & Hamilton merged with the firm. Long time Camden lawyer, Carlton Rowand, had retired and James D. Hamilton, Jr., who had worked on many matters with the DuBois firm and was a law school classmate of Ed Sheehan, became a partner at DuBois, Sheehan, Hamilton & DuBois.
A law school classmate of Ed Sheehan and Jim Hamilton, Fred J. Levin started his career as a solo practitioner and Judge of the Cherry Hill Municipal Court from 1981 through 1996. In 1990, Fred merged his practice with the firm which became known as DuBois, Sheehan, Hamilton, Weissman & Oddo, LLC, a name which continued until January 2009.
In 1991, David M. Weissman, a first year law school student, began a two year stint as a firm law clerk. Upon graduation in 1993, Dave joined the firm as an associate and rapidly distinguished himself. By January 1, 1998, Dave was welcomed to the firm as a partner. In January 2009, Mr. Weissman was further honored by the firm when he was added to the current name of the firm – DuBois, Sheehan, Hamilton, Weissman & Oddo, LLC.
The firm historically has had associations with other prominent attorneys to provide complete representation to clients. Harry D. Ambrose, Jr. continues to be of counsel to the firm.
Mark V. Oddo, a longtime partner at Maressa, Goldstein, Patterson, Drinkwater & Oddo joined the firm in May 2007 as a partner. Mark brings to the firm nearly three decades of experience representing injured and aggrieved clients particularly in the area of personal injury and commercial litigation.
In 2005, the firm welcomed Mathew T. Wait, a graduate of Fordham Law School and former law clerk to the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck, Judge Superior Court. Matthew became a partner in the firm in 2011 and works primarily in the areas of land use, family law, residential and commercial real estate, and commercial and civil litigation.
DuBois, Sheehan, Hamilton, Weissman & Oddo, LLC has a rich and proud history of service to clients, the community and to the organized bar. Hank Maiale, Ed Sheehan, Jim Hamilton and Mark Oddo have all been honored to serve as Presidents of the Camden County Bar Association. Fred Levin served the Township of Cherry Hill for sixteen years as its Municipal Court Judge. While firm members have received many individual awards and honors, because they are people who care, their professional focus remains very clear; striving to help people who have legal problems that need to be solved.