About the Firm
Our firm was founded by Alfred S. Frost in the late 1880’s. We know that Mr. Frost was admitted to the Bar in 1887, and operated as a sole practitioner until 1906 when he formed a partnership with Mr. Charles Farrell, who had been admitted to the Bar in 1904. This partnership operated under the name of Frost and Farell until 1911 when Mr. Farrell departed.
Mr. Frost continued his practice alone until 1923 when his son Stanley was admitted to the Bar. Thereafter the Frosts practiced together as a partnership under the name of Frost and Frost. Alfred was a trial lawyer and Stanley was primarily, if not solely, employed as a Trust Officer for the Bank of Kalamazoo. By 1932 Henry Ford, Jr. had just been admitted to the Bar, the country was in the depths of depression, and the Bank of Kalamazoo had closed its doors. It was in that year that the two Frosts and Mr. Ford formed a partnership under the name Frost, Frost & Ford that was to continue until the death of Alfred Frost in 1940. Thereafter and during the War years the firm operated under the name of Frost and Ford.
On January 1, 1953 Mr. Gordon H. Kriekard joined the firm and the partnership of Frost, Ford and Kriekard was formed. In 1955 Stanley Frost died and the firm thereafter continued under the name of Ford & Kriekard until they were joined by Mr. Garry Brown on January 1, 1957. Under their names this partnership continued until Arthur Staton, Jr. joined as a partner on January 1, 1965. Shortly thereafter Garry Brown left the firm for a successful career in politics, and the firm continued as Ford, Kriekard & Staton until 1976. The firm organized as a professional corporation in 1976 and its name was changed to Ford & Kriekard, P.C. in 1986. The firm has gone through a couple of name changes since 1986 and is currently known as Ford, Kriekard, Soltis & Wise, P.C.
Prior to 1932 the firm had its offices in the Bank of Kalamazoo Building. In 1932 it became an original tenant in the American National Bank Building (now known as the Fifth Third Bank) and remained in the same suite (1015) until we moved in 1984 to Century Plaza (the old J.C. Penney Building). In 1992 we then moved to 2700 Old Centre Road in Portage until 2006 when we moved to our current location at 8051 Moorsbridge Road in Portage.
Mr. Alfred Frost remained with the firm from the date it was founded to the date of his death in 1940 (approximately 53 years). Mr. Stanley Frost remained with the firm until his death in 1955 (approximately 33 years). Mr. Ford remained with the firm until his retirement in 1980 (approximately 48 years). Mr. Kriekard remained a member of the firm until his retirement in 1988 (approximately 35 years).
Robert Soltis, a current partner in the firm, has been with the firm since 1984; William Kriekard, a current partner in the firm, has been with the firm since 1987; and Robert Wise, a current partner in the firm, has been with the firm since 2006.
We are proud of our long history of legal services to the Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan Community where we live and work.
Nancy
Amy
Kim