Edmond G. Toomey founded what is now HKSA near the turn of the century, over 100 years ago. Michael J. (“Mack”) Hughes began practicing with Mr. Toomey in 1951, and continued with the firm until his retirement in 1998. Stu Kellner and John Sullivan joined the firm in 1974 and 1975, respectively, and John Alke joined in 1980. The firm became Hughes, Kellner, Sullivan & Alke in the early 1980s.

Location:

HKSA moved to its current location in the Fashion Livery and Boarding Stable Building located at 40 W. Lawrence in downtown Helena in May 1997. This building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior.

The building has a rich Helena history, constructed in 1898 by brothers Anton and Martin Holter. For nearly two decades it housed the Fashion Livery and Boarding Stable. As changing modes of transportation saw the demise of horse-drawn travel, the facility was converted to an automobile dealership in 1916, a use that endured through the 1980s. The building appears today much as it did after the 1916 remodeling, retaining much of the original masonry and decorative roofline details. Heavy beam construction and remnants of original livery use are still visible in the second story loft.

Community Involvement:

At HKSA, we take pride in our community involvement and pro bono service. Our lawyers serve on the Helena School Board, the Board of Public Assistance, and the Board of the Montana Justice Foundation. We are involved with the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, the Montana Defense Trial Lawyers Association, and the Montana Bar Association, and contribute to numerous civic organizations. In 2008, HKSA lawyers donated approximately 250 hours of free legal services to low-income clients.