Our History

Schmittinger & Rodriguez, Kent County’s oldest law firm, is the success story of how two young, dedicated attorneys turned their vision into one of Delaware’s premier law firms. Harold Schmittinger and Nicholas Rodriguez founded the firm in 1961, and to this day, the firm takes pride in its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional legal services to our clients.

Harold and Nicholas hung their shingle in a small office located at the corner of State Street and The Green. In 1965, due to the expanding practice, the firm constructed a new office building at 414 South State Street and relocated after its completion in 1966. Since then, the firm has undergone tremendous growth, opening satellite offices in Wilmington, Rehoboth Beach, and Odessa (later moved to Middletown). Our team of 11 attorneys and 50 support staff operate from three offices offering comprehensive legal solutions to individuals, businesses, and government entities.

Our accomplished attorneys have litigated in all state courts in Delaware, as well as the District Court for Delaware, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. We have also represented clients in courts in other jurisdictions, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota. 

Schmittinger & Rodriguez is proud of our close ties to the US military. Our founding partner, Harold Schmittinger, served in the military, and seven other attorneys previously or currently employed by the firm have also served. We are honored to provide legal services to military personnel, veterans, and their families, and we remain committed to supporting their needs. This commitment is just one part of the deep root system the firm has placed in Delaware, and after all these decades, why it continues to thrive, grow, and blossom with new attorneys, expanded practice areas, and the incorporation of technology into the firm’s dynamic infrastructure.

Schmittinger & Rodriguez is Delaware-owned, Delaware-based, and Delaware-proud. The culture, mission, and vision of our founders are the history of the firm and remain the lifeblood of the practice. Without this deep history and decades of legal mastery, Schmittinger & Rodriguez would not be able to deliver – day by day, year by year, and decade by decade – the personalized legal solutions that meet the needs of a diverse set of clients.