Illinois and Missouri litigation firm HeplerBroom will be joined by the Springfield-based environmental attorneys of Hodge Dwyer & Driver on January 1, 2016, as the firm expands its Springfield office. Together with its 120 attorneys situated in key jurisdictions, HeplerBroom can now add environmental legal representation to the broad services currently provided to a wide variety of clients across many industries in the Midwest.

“We grow in response to client demands for more diverse services. We’ve worked well with the firm in the past. Hodge Dwyer & Driver’s environmental regulatory and litigation skills are a natural fit as we diversify our offerings,” said Larry Hepler of HeplerBroom. “The firm brings extensive regulatory talent to bear for our clients who have operations in Illinois and Missouri or companies who are considering expanding into these states.”

Businesses are faced with the challenge of complying with extensive and complicated national, state and local environmental regulations. With the addition of Hodge Dwyer & Driver, HeplerBroom can now be in close touch with regulators in Springfield and Chicago. If disputes in any part of Illinois cannot be resolved at the agency level and litigation results, Hodge Dwyer & Driver now finds increased depth with the entire HeplerBroom litigation team.

The merger also gives HeplerBroom clients with operations in the state greater access to realize business objectives more quickly. Greater confidence in the timely acquisition of permits to meet expansion plans comes along with the combination of the two firms.

Hodge Dwyer & Driver brings over 110 years of Illinois and federal environmental regulatory and litigation experience. “Our small firm has always had an outsized impact on our clients’ businesses,” said Kathy Hodge, Partner, Hodge Dwyer & Driver, “but this merger gives us a deeper bench and wider footprint than in the past. It’s a win-win-win for us, our new partners and our clients.”