Firm History
The history of the McCormick Law Firm could be said to be almost equivalent in terms of tenure and complexion, to the Community of Williamsport.  The Firm’s age, growth and legal services reflect this river city’s history ranging from representation of lumber and railroading interests, through multiple manufacturing enterprises to the present offering of legal representation to local governments, corporations, real estate practice, decedents estate, medical malpractice and general defense litigation.

The Firm started in 1862 when Seth Thomas McCormick moved from White Deer Valley to Williamsport and commenced practice alone.  Shortly thereafter, Seth Thomas McCormick’s son, Henry Clay McCormick, joined him and together, the two practiced  until the elder McCormick died leaving Henry Clay to practice alone.  Later, Henry Clay McCormick’s brother, Frank, joined him as a partner for a short period of time and when Frank left the firm to start an Insurance Agency, another brother of Henry Clay McCormick, namely, Seth Thomas McCormick, II, joined the firm.  

The latter Seth Thomas thereafter practiced alone upon Henry Clay McCormick’s death and finally, associated himself with Rogers K. Foster.  Later on, another Seth Thomas McCormick, a son of a brother of Henry Clay McCormick, and known as Seth Thomas, Jr. joined the firm.  When the elder Seth Thomas McCormick, II died in 1916, Seth Thomas McCormick, Jr. continued the firm in association with Rogers K. Foster and later on, was joined by  Carl W. Herdic and Sidney Dale Furst.  
The firm was then known as “McCormick, Herdic and Furst” for quite a long time.
 
Thereafter, when Seth Thomas McCormick, Jr. died in 1945, Sidney Dale Furst became the Senior Partner along with Henry Clay McCormick and Seth McCormick Lynn.  Shortly thereafter, the firm of Furst, McCormick & Lynn was joined by Malcolm Muir and was henceforth known as “Furst, McCormick, Muir & Lynn”.  That was the firm name for quiate a long time until Paul W. Reeder and William E. Nichols joined the firm.
The prominence of the law firm over the years was initially due to its association with the McCormick family.  Seth T. McCormick, Jr. contributed significantly to the reputation of the firm, due to his pre-eminence as a lawyer resulting in his membership on the first Procedural Rules Committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and a member of the Boards of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central, as well as Lycoming Manufacturing Company, the predecessor to Avco Corporation.
 
Seth Thomas’ son, Henry Clay McCormick had organized the Lycoming National Bank that later became Northern Central Bank.  He was elected a Member of Congress and served as Attorney General for Pennsylvania from 1887 until 1894 by appointment of Governor Hastings.

Roger K. Foster for many years, was the Dean of Real Estate Practice in Northcentral Pennsylvania.

Sidney Dale Furst, a partner of the firm commencing in the ‘50s, continued representing the firm as a member of the Supreme Court Procedural Rules Committee as well as the Procedural Rules Advisory Committee for the Third Circuit and also a fellow on the American College of Trial Attorneys.  
 
As a leading volunteer of community services in Lycoming County, Dale organized the Lycoming United Fund, was President of the Pennsylvania United Fund, Director of Council on  Foundations and Past President of the United Community Counsels of America.  Mr. Furst was an active sportsman belonging to both Grays Run and Dunwoody Hunting Clubs as well as one of the organizers of the Lycoming County Consolidated Sportsman.

Malcolm Muir, is currently a Judge for the Middle District of the United States District Courts of Pennsylvania.
The firm partnership currently consists of eleven (11) attorneys including nine (9) partners, one (1) associate and one (1) attorney of counsel.  The firm’s main interests in legal services is defense litigation, decedent estates, real estate, corporate and governmental representation, bankruptcy and workmen’s compensation defense.
Located at 835 West Fourth Street amidst and part of the Victorian homes of Williamsport, the firm presently enjoys the ambience of the best of Victorian architecture and living in the late 1800's.
 
In spite of its age and history, the McCormick Law Firm is actively engaged in remodeling itself from time to time, to meet current demands for legal service by clients in a small metropolitan area of North Central Pennsylvania.
The McCormick Law Firm prides itself in offering a full menu of legal services for its market area as it has for over one hundred (100) years.