Bio

James Franz is a member of Hinman, Howard & Kattell’s Business and Corporate Law, Labor and Employment, Health Care Law and Not for Profit Corporation and Foundation Practice Groups. He served as Chairman of the Firm’s Business and Corporate Law Practice Group for nearly twenty years. A major component of Jim’s practice involves representing business and corporate clients with respect to all aspects of their business and personal legal needs. Jim has served as counsel to a wide range of businesses in various areas of commerce, including health care; energy; real property; manufacturing; retail sales; professional services; professional sports teams; natural resources; automotive, truck and bus sales and service; agriculture; hospitality; insurance; technology; nonprofit organizations; transportation; marketing; banks and financial institutions; and many others. For most of those clients, Jim serves in the role of lead or general counsel and is relied upon as an integral counselor, advocate and representative. Jim has been able to blend his work in corporate, labor and health law with small town general practice. His law license has allowed him to assist his friends and neighbors with the challenges that they face in the course of their daily lives and he has always embraced opportunities to engage as a general practitioner serving the individual legal needs of the people of our community. A native of Owego, Jim is very active in the local community. He serves or has served as an officer or director of the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, Tioga County Rural Ministry, Owego Fire Department, Owego Little League, Hiawatha Soccer Association, Broome County Council on Alcoholism, the Binghamton Club, B. C. Jets Football Club, Baden Powell Council of the Boy Scouts of America, BC United Soccer Association, the Tioga County Human Resources Roundtable, Binghamton University School of Management Advisory Board, Good Shepherd Communities Board of Advisors, and various local foundations. He has also served as a volunteer with the Cornell University Alumni Admissions Network, the Saint Patrick Church, Tioga County Boys & Girls Club and Tioga County Youth Soccer Association. Jim has been recognized for his community service efforts by the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, by his alma mater Owego Free Academy, and by the New York State Bar Association, among others.