Eric Finamore grew up in Armonk, New York where his father made his career at IBM. To the dismay of his parents, he took up the drums at a young age and is still playing today, practicing weekly in a band that covers songs from the 1960s right up to the present.

Throughout high school and college, Eric was in the marching band as well as enjoying both jazz and rock music. He ran track in high school and continued running for peace of mind and exercise until his joints had enough. In college, at the University of Rochester, Eric had several careers in mind: being a college professor, a painter or a broadcaster. He worked at the college radio station and on the local NPR station, playing music and announcing the news.

After spending six months touring Europe post college, he continued pursuing painting and broadcasting to conclude that these paths were not going to be professionally rewarding. A job at a hospital admitting patients helped Eric realize what he enjoyed doing: helping people during a journey; being a helpful resource and guide to enable a positive outcome. Two years after earning his undergraduate degree, Finamore left New York State for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to attend Boston University Law School.

Law school was a logical progression for the undergraduate English major who always had an interest in public policy. He began his career as an attorney working on plaintiff personal injury cases. As he shares the progression of his legal career over the years, he remarks on the common thread of helping people. Over the course of his legal career, he expanded from personal injury into other areas of litigation including probate and real estate, honing his skills on both the plaintiff and defense sides of the case.

You Never Know…

Most of us have situations in our life that can be life defining. Eric certainly has a few such examples.

In law school, he worked for a medical/legal research society, and happened to meet the president of the organization, a well-known trial lawyer who was looking to hire a young lawyer for his firm. The connection became Eric’s entrance into his profession in civil litigation.

When asked about his family, he shares how he was invited by his brother to join him and their uncle for dinner where his uncle would reconnect with his college roommate. The college roommate arrived bringing his girlfriend, a woman in her 60s. During dinner, she remarks on Eric being single and suggests he meet her daughter. The outcome was a blind date where Eric met his wife, all arranged by his mother-in-law.

Earlier this year at a probate law conference in Framingham, MA sponsored by the Mass Bar Association, Eric happened to sit next to WCN attorney Michael Friedman. The initial casual conversation led to meetings about joining WCN. The timing was perfect and Finamore joined Wilchins Cosentino & Novins LLP.

Eric and his wife, who is a BU alumna, have three teenagers with one headed to Boston University in the Fall. In his spare time, Eric enjoys gardening, a hobby he learned from his parents. He especially enjoys the farm to table tomatoes that he grows.

When asked who his favorite drummers are, he laughs and notes there have been too many talented players for him to pick favorites, although among young up-and-coming drummers Ele Howell, who he recently heard with Ravi Coltrane, comes to mind.

Community service and contribution to the legal profession are important to Eric. He is on the board of a high school for students with learning disabilities, and volunteers extensively for the Massachusetts Bar Association, where he has been the chair of the Civil Litigation Section Council and a frequent seminar presenter.

There are many words to describe Finamore: litigator, drummer, gardener, biker, and father. Lifelong learner also comes to mind as he describes his intent on doing more mediation work to resolve legal matters in a process that is less win-lose and more acceptable to both parties. Whether litigation or mediation, Eric enjoys helping his clients achieve a positive result.

Eric Finamore is an attorney at Wilchins Cosentino & Novins. Read his professional bio here.