Taking Care of Business

Oh, the stories a 75+ year-old law firm can tell, but we must protect our clients’ privacy, so we’ll just tell our own. (We do have permission to share some client successes … click here to read more).

Beginning with our first office in San Luis Obispo in 1948 and growing to a team of lawyers serving thousands of clients at locations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria, our connection to the people and businesses of the Central Coast runs deep.

The Andre, Morris & Buttery values grew from the example set by Jose Jorge Andre, who came to California and opened a grocery store in San Luis Obispo in 1902. During the Depression, Jose allowed charge accounts to go largely unpaid. He was known for his compassion and generosity, and his soft heart kept many families fed during devastating times. Jose’s community spirit carries through today at Andre, Morris & Buttery.

Jose’s sons, Peter and George, chose law over the grocery business, and in 1948 formed the Andre & Andre law partnership. The firm, located in an upstairs apartment at 1130 Garden Street in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo, quickly attracted a clientele of farmers, dairymen and cattlemen. The Andre brothers connected well with their clients, a point brought home by Peter’s topping his business attire with a cowboy hat. He became known as “the lawyer in the Stetson hat.”

Over the years, Andre, Morris & Buttery has continued to change and grow with the community. In the 1970s and 1980s we moved away from general practice to business law. Instead of criminal cases and divorces, we began specializing in business and real estate transactions and litigation, while maintaining our tradition in estates and trusts practice.

New attorneys joined the firm, bringing new expertise for sophisticated clients seeking legal advice on complex business matters. The firm changed to Andre, Morris & Buttery under the leadership of Michael Morris, Jim Buttery, Dennis Law and Todd Mirolla. The skill of our attorneys assured clients top flight representation right here on the Central Coast. As the business world changed, so did the firm, adding expertise in complex employment law, environmental matters, mergers and acquisitions and other areas.

We’re a hard driving, technology-savvy mix of attorneys with the areas of expertise businesses need today. Located in two offices on the Central Coast, we represent individuals, families, businesses, corporate giants and nonprofit organizations. Despite our range of personalities and areas of expertise, we share a common vision – we promise the best in representation.

In The Community

Our family of lawyers and staff at Andre, Morris & Buttery share more than a workspace. We believe that excellence requires real investment in a community. We are proud to live and work in this special corner of California, and we show it by lending time and expertise to numerous organizations. And there’s a nice side benefit: being involved in the community makes us better at our jobs. We are connected and caring. Here are a few of our affiliations over the years.