Mountain Dearborn & Whiting

From the day he hung his black-and-gold shingle in downtown Worcester through to his 90s, Willis E. Sibley practiced law with a firm commitment: Clients, he believed, should be served promptly and discreetly, with careful attention to detail. That commitment to faithful service has defined Mountain Dearborn for well over a century.

To this day, top level legal counsel and personal attention to clients’ needs are the hallmarks of Mountain Dearborn. We take our history seriously and pride ourselves on listening carefully to client needs and always striving to make the legal process clear as we advocate for those who need legal representation.

Like our founding partner, Mountain Dearborn attorneys remain devoted to ensuring a personal connection between lawyers and clients. We know clients deserve outstanding, timely service and our reputation for excellence, fairness, efficiency and cost-effectiveness is well-established. These values are important keystones to this day, as they have been since 1887. We are determined to maintain the highest ethical standards of honesty, integrity and confidentiality in every encounter we share.

Founded in 1887, Mountain Dearborn has evolved from a small office of family counselors specializing in trusts and estates to a general practice of more than a dozen lawyers with a broad range of legal specialties. We all share our founder’s commitment to trustworthy, personal service to clients.

Joined by his brother, Charles, and Carl M. Blair in 1902 to form Sibley, Sibley & Blair, Willis Sibley played a leading role in Worcester’s business community for a half-century. His primary commitment, though, was as trusted family counselor. When he was no longer physically able to go to his downtown Worcester office at the age of 92, Willis worked from his Pleasant Street home, dictating to his secretary during regular visits and advising his clients by telephone. He continued to work until his death at 93 in 1950.

Mid-century marked the arrival of Thomas R. Mountain (1948), Richard W. Dearborn (1952) and Alfred N. Whiting (1953). In 1965, the firm dropped the Sibley name—though not the legacy—to become Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting.

Over the past four decades, Mountain Dearborn has continued to expand in size and scope. Building on its well-established trust and estate law practice, our firm includes legal professionals in family law, corporate and commercial law, criminal defense, taxation services, real estate and land use law, corporate and business planning, litigation services, and guardianship & conservatorships. Our modest size is intentional. As we have grown, we have built on Willis Sibley’s values, scaling our practice to ensure our commitment to faithful service.