history

Our firm’s founder, Herbert L. Faulkner, was born in 1882 in Nova Scotia. He arrived in Alaska in 1902 and soon became the Chief of Police for the City of Ketchikan. Mr. Faulkner came to Juneau in 1907 as a Deputy United States Marshal. In 1909, President Taft appointed him U.S. Marshal for the First Judicial District of the Territory of Alaska. One of the most well-known of his acts as Marshal was his arrest on a charge of murder of Robert Stroud, later known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Mr. Faulkner was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1914. He practiced law in Juneau for 35 years, made a token effort to retire in California, but continued to practice law there and in Alaska literally until the day of his death at age 89, when he suffered a heart attack in the court room.

Norman Banfield was born in Wisconsin in 1907. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he majored in geography with a specialty in meteorology. Following his graduation in 1929, Mr. Banfield went to work for the U.S. Weather Bureau and in 1931 arrived in Juneau to work as a meteorologist. Mr. Banfield became acquainted with Mr. Faulkner in the summer of 1934, while on an expedition staking mining claims in Berner's Bay. Mr. Faulkner asked Mr. Banfield to go to work for him in August of 1934. Mr. Banfield had no legal training, but read for the law in his spare time. He passed the bar examination and was admitted to practice in 1935. Mr. Banfield practiced law in Juneau until his retirement in 1979. He passed away in 2000.

Our firm has gone through several name changes during its existence. When Mr. Banfield became Mr. Faulkner’s partner in 1937, the firm became Faulkner & Banfield. In 1947, Robert Boochever became a partner and our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield & Boochever. Frank Doogan became a partner in 1960, and the firm was called Faulkner, Banfield, Boochever & Doogan. When Robert Boochever was appointed to the Alaska Supreme Court in 1972, our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan, Gross & Holmes, reflecting the presence of partners Avrum Gross and Michael Holmes. In 1974, Avrum Gross was appointed Attorney General of the State of Alaska, and we became Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan & Holmes, P.C. In 1998, after a corporate re-organization, we became simply Faulkner Banfield, P.C.




	History of Faulkner Banfield Our firm’s founder, Herbert L. Faulkner, was born in 1882 in Nova Scotia. He arrived in Alaska in 1902 and soon became the Chief of Police for the City of Ketchikan. Mr. Faulkner came to Juneau in 1907 as a Deputy United States Marshal. In 1909, President Taft appointed him U.S. Marshal for the First Judicial District of the Territory of Alaska. One of the most well-known of his acts as Marshal was his arrest on a charge of murder of Robert Stroud, later known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Mr. Faulkner was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1914. He practiced law in Juneau for 35 years, made a token effort to retire in California, but continued to practice law there and in Alaska literally until the day of his death at age 89, when he suffered a heart attack in the court room. Norman Banfield was born in Wisconsin in 1907. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he majored in geography with a specialty in meteorology. Following his graduation in 1929, Mr. Banfield went to work for the U.S. Weather Bureau and in 1931 arrived in Juneau to work as a meteorologist. Mr. Banfield became acquainted with Mr. Faulkner in the summer of 1934, while on an expedition staking mining claims in Berner's Bay. Mr. Faulkner asked Mr. Banfield to go to work for him in August of 1934. Mr. Banfield had no legal training, but read for the law in his spare time. He passed the bar examination and was admitted to practice in 1935. Mr. Banfield practiced law in Juneau until his retirement in 1979. He passed away in 2000. Our firm has gone through several name changes during its existence. When Mr. Banfield became Mr. Faulkner’s partner in 1937, the firm became Faulkner & Banfield. In 1947, Robert Boochever became a partner and our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield & Boochever. Frank Doogan became a partner in 1960, and the firm was called Faulkner, Banfield, Boochever & Doogan. When Robert Boochever was appointed to the Alaska Supreme Court in 1972, our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan, Gross & Holmes, reflecting the presence of partners Avrum Gross and Michael Holmes. In 1974, Avrum Gross was appointed Attorney General of the State of Alaska, and we became Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan & Holmes, P.C. In 1998, after a corporate re-organization, we became simply Faulkner Banfield, P.C.