Two North County Law Firms Merge

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Local law firms Donovan & O’Connor, LLP, and DeRosa Dohoney, LLP, have merged as of the first of the year.

The combined entity will maintain the name Donovan & O'Connor and plans to locate its North Adams headquarters at the current DeRosa Dohoney offices in Building 1 of the Mass MoCA complex.  

The region's oldest and largest law firm, Donovan & O'Connor traces its roots back to 1913 when Walter Donovan first began the practice. Before the merger, the firm had 15 actively practicing attorneys with offices in Pittsfield, North Adams and Springfield, as well as Bennington, Vt.

DeRosa Dohoney is the successor law firm to Freedman, DeRosa & Rondeau which was founded in 1976 by Morton Freedman, John B. DeRosa and Patrick Rondeau. In addition to representing its private clients, the law firm has had a visible profile in Berkshire County, playing a lead role in the development of Mass MoCA and other city and county wide economic initiatives. The firm has represented the city of North Adams since 1983, which Attorney DeRosa will continue to do.

Richard M. Dohoney, also a partner at DeRosa Dohoney, will also join Donovan & O’Connor, as well as several staff members. Dohoney, who earned a Rising Star designation from Superlawyers Magazine from 2010 through 2012, will work primarily out of the firm's Pittsfield office and will continue to serve clients from throughout Berkshire County.

Vermont National Guard Members Depart From North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
04:20PM / Friday, June 05, 2026

About 50 people waved flags to the see the Guardsmen off on their bus. The members were staying in North Adams because of a lack of hotel rooms in Bennington, Vt.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Residents came together Friday to see some Vermont National Guard members off.

 

The American Legion Riders organized a send off for a group of 75 or so Guard members who were staying at Hotel Downstreet.

 

"We are going to escort them to the Bennington Armory," Riders President Mike Lewis said. "They are going to gear up there, and then I am not sure where they are going. I don’t even know if they are all going to the same place."

 

Fifty or so people met in the Hotel Downstreet parking lot to show their appreciation. They waved flags and held signs. A bagpiper was also present.

 

The Riders contacted the Fire Department who helped organize the send off. North Adams Police cruisers and Northern Berkshire EMS were also on site to help see the bus off.

 

Lewis said there was not enough rooms in Bennington for the National Guard members. He added because of the trend to use vacant hotel rooms as low-income housing, the group had to look toward North Adams.

 

It's not clear where these Guard were off to, but about 500 members of 3-172 Infantry Battalion were expected to go to the Middle East with U.S. Central Command. According to Vermont Digger, this deployment was scheduled prior to the strikes on Iran.