Morristown Law Firm Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

Wiley Malehorn Sirota & Raynes is a general practice law firm that first opened its doors in 1973. While the firm has seen many changes over the past fifty years, the one constant has been the firm’s focus on providing outstanding legal representation and giving back to the community it has called home for 50 years.

Wiley Malehorn, as most people call it, was founded by childhood friends and Morristown neighbors, Stephen B. Wiley and Donald M. Malehorn. Though the founders passed in 2015 and 2017 respectively, their passion for the law continues through their colleagues, the firm’s five partners, Fredric J. Sirota, Arthur L. Raynes, James M. McCreedy, Eugene Huang, and Kristin V. Hayes, who have each been with the firm for decades.

Steve Wiley had a commitment to community service and helped lead many of the non-profit and charitable endeavors in Morris County, including the Mayo Performing Arts Center, the Morristown Green, the Joint Free Library of Morristown and Morris Township, the County College of Morris, and the United Way. Don Malehorn was a dedicated member of the Morris Educational Foundation and was instrumental in the local Kiwanis. Steve and Don were a driving force behind a 1971 New Jersey Supreme Court decision that promoted integration through the merger of Morristown and Morris Township’s school districts. More than 50 years later Morristown remains a model for other communities both academically and culturally.

Following in the footsteps of Steve Wiley and Don Malehorn, the current partners are each devoted to community service, in addition to the practice of law. Rick Sirota has been instrumental in Operation Holiday, a summer camp program for underserved children. Art Raynes founded and for 32 years has run the Saturdays in Motion program, the largest and longest running non-public recreational program for children with autism and their families in the country. Jim McCreedy is on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey and has been heavily involved in scouting and youth sports. Eugene Huang has also been involved in youth sports, and was on the Board of Preschool of Advantage, which provides free preschool services to disadvantaged children. Kristin Hayes served in her local school community with respect to various anti-bullying efforts, provides pro bono services through the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project, and received the Pro Bono Service Award from the Morris County Bar Association for her years of pro bono legal advocacy work.

When asked about celebrating the 50 year milestone, Rick Sirota said, “We’re happy to celebrate 50 years. To reach 50 years in a competitive law firm field, we’ve needed to provide consistently excellent service, get along with one another, and maintain a work environment conducive to quality legal work. I’m proud that we’ve achieved those goals.”