40 Years of Excellence

In the late 1980s, Lucash Gesmer & Updegrove was founded by Lee Gesmer and Rick Lucash as the Computer Law Firm, positioning itself early at the intersection of law and emerging technology—well before technology law was formally recognized as a distinct practice area. With Andy Updegrove joining the firm in 1987, the firm was later named Gesmer Updegrove and developed the technical fluency and forward-looking mindset that would become central to its identity, advising innovators operating ahead of established legal and regulatory frameworks.

In the 2000s, Gesmer Updegrove navigated significant market disruption with discipline and foresight, aligning its operations with the realities faced by clients during the dot-com crash and subsequent economic downturns. This client-first approach strengthened the firm’s foundation and positioned it for sustained growth through later market cycles, including the housing crisis and recession. Beginning in 2003, the firm advised emerging innovators such as iRobot, Keurig, Zipcar, Constant Contact, and Rocket Software—companies that would go on to become category leaders—and was recognized the same year as the #2 All-Star Law Firm by Mass High Tech Council.

From the 2020s to the present day, Gesmer Updegrove has continued to evolve to meet the needs of scaling and established businesses navigating rapid growth, regulatory complexity, and market disruption. The firm delivered uninterrupted, high-quality service throughout the COVID period—one of its strongest performance cycles—supporting a surge of new entrepreneurs and fast-growing companies. To date, Gesmer Updegrove has advised more than 6,000 scaling companies and supported $8.2 billion in M&A transactions and $7.9 billion in financing, with work spanning emerging technologies, fintech innovations such as NFC (tap-to-pay), iconic brands including the New England Patriots, and leading academic and research institutions.