About Lee, Emerson & Palmer, LLP
Lee,
Emerson & Palmer, LLP, is a law firm with a long and rich history of
legal service to Chenango County. David F. Lee, Sr. established the
firm on July 1, 1907. Mr. Lee, Sr. later became District Attorney
and Supreme Court Judge and was recognized as one of the outstanding
lawyers in upstate New York. In addition to the public offices he
held, Mr. Lee, Sr. served the community in several capacities from
school board to one of the founders of the United Way (then
Community Chest). He participated vigorously in the political arena,
being a personal friend of President Franklin Roosevelt, Governor
Alfred Smith, Governor Herbert Lehman, Postmaster General James
Farley and many other public figures of the day.
Under David
F. Lee, Sr.’s leadership and tutelage, Glenn Carter, Lynn Peterson,
Edwin Verreau, David Levene, Donald Kramer (former Mayor of
Binghamton), Daniel McAvoy (former Supreme Court Justice), Paul
Gorman, William Night, Charles Gallagher and Clarence Rappleyea
(former NYS Assemblyman) entered the profession. The firm had
offices in Norwich and Binghamton, New York from 1927 to 1938. In
1938, Mr. Lee, Sr. turned his full efforts to the Norwich office,
which then included David F. Lee, Sr., Charles Gallagher and David
F. Lee, Jr.
After serving
in World War II and rising from the rank of private to Lt. Colonel
in the Air Force, David F. Lee, Jr. returned to the firm. Mr. Lee,
Jr. went on to serve as the Chenango County District Attorney for
several years, and then served as a Supreme Court Judge from 1963 to
1987. David F. Lee, Sr. and David F. Lee, Jr. are the only father
and son to have both served as Supreme Court Judges in the State of
New York.
Edward J. Lee joined the firm in 1946 after serving as a bomber pilot and gunnery officer in the Air Force, rising from the rank of private to Major. He was a Fellow of the New York State Bar Foundation, Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Fellow of the American College of Trusts & Estates Counsel, and served as Vice President of the New York State Bar Association, President of the Sixth Judicial District Federation of Bar Associations (also serving ten years as it's treasurer), in addition to many charitable and corporate directorships, memberships and trusteeships. He was an avid skeet shooter and won state, sectional, national, international and world championships. He was named to the NYS Skeet Hall of Fame in 1985 and the National Skeet Shooting Association (San Antonio, Texas) in 1986.
The present firm, located at 35 West Main Street, Norwich, New York, is comprised of Thomas C. Emerson and Norene R. Palmer. Mr. Emerson, a native of Oxford, New York joined the firm in 1974. He received his undergraduate degree from Allegheny College and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. Mr. Emerson has served as a delegate to the New York State Bar Association, Federation of the Bar of the Sixth Judicial District, and is a former President of the Chenango County Bar Association. He has served in the following organizations in various offices, directorships and trusteeships: Chenango Memorial Hospital, United Way, Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Oxford, Norwich Family YMCA (Past President and currently a Trustee); Chairman Oxford Village Zoning Board of Appeals (1974-2002), Oxford Lions Club (past President); Director of the Greater Norwich Foundation, R.C. Smith Foundation and the Roger W. Follett Foundation; Trustee of the Mary Elizabeth Macksey Charitable Trust, the Rex and Edna Irene Mickle Charitable Trust and the Crosby Charitable Trust. He and his wife, Bonnie, have four children, nine grandchildren and live in Oxford. His primary areas of practice are: estate planning, estate administration, elder law, business entities (LLC’s, corporations and partnerships) and real estate.