SETTING THE BAR, BusinessWest TOP 10 UNDER 40: STEPHEN FITZGIBBONS

STEPHEN FITZGIBBONS

AGE: 35

ADMITTED TO MASS. BAR: 1995

FIRM/EMPLOYER: City of Holyoke

EDUCATION: Juris Doctor, Massachusetts School of Law, Andover; bachelor of arts (Political Science), Assumption College

CONCENTRATIONS: Chief legal council for municipality: duties include managing the legal office; providing advice, counsel, and written opinions; defending the city against all civil claims; collective bargaining contract negotiation; tax title foreclosure; and other responsibilities

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: City of Holyoke Law Department, second assistant city solicitor

In the private sector, lawyers have specialties. When a case comes their way, they can make a choice about whether to take it or not.

Life for those who toil in the public sector, for area cities and towns, is much different. They must be generalists, and they and their staff$ must handle everything that comes across their desks.

Stephen Fitzgibbons, city solicitor for the City of Holyoke, likes that challenge.

"There are so many different things that come up every day ... its challenging, but it's fun," he told BusinessWest. I really enjoy the variety of work we do here."

For Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, it's not the quantity of work that Fitzgibbons takes on that makes him an outstanding lawyer, but the quality.

"In the municipal sector, you have to do it all ... the city solicitor has to handle land court, housing issues, tax matters, tort law, everything," he said. "Steve has shown he can handle anything that's thrown at him. He works well with all the various offices in the city, and that's very important."

So impressed was Sullivan with Fitzgibbons that he kept him on as solicitor when he was first elected in 1999 - Fitzgibbons was originally appointed by mayor Daniel Szostkiewicz - a rarity in these times when mayors usually put their own people in such positions.

"I lot of people told me to oust him and go with my own pick," Sullivan. "But I didn't think twice about it. Steve is extremely ethical, he's hardworking, and he's a team player; when the phone rings in that office, he'll answer it."

Fitzgibbons has been devoting much of his time lately to whistleblower cases involving the city's police department work that has earned him praise from a number of area attorneys working with him on those suits - and also legal work involving the development of Mount Tom. He told BusinessWest that he also spends considerable time and energy working to collect delinquent taxes and take properties for tax reasons.

"We have two full file drawers of cases in land court," he said. "That's not exactly exciting work, but it's very important for the city and its efforts to turn the comer."

Fitzgibbons, who started with Holyoke's Law Department six years ago, acknowledged that working for a municipality can be difficult. There are many offices and egos to deal with, and obviously a good deal of politics, "There are a lot of nights when I walk out of here shaking my head," he said. "But I've enjoyed every minute of it ... this is a job where you can really see the results of your labor."