O'Haire & Fiore was founded in Germany shortly after World War II ended
The roots of the legal practice O’Haire & Fiore, Attorneys at Law, are to be traced back to the courtroom in Nürnberg, Germany, that, in the course of the Nuremberg trials, had served as the forum for the disclosure of the atrocious acts of war and crimes against humanity committed by the political and military leadership of Germany during WWII in Europe and beyond.
Mr. Walter O’Haire, Attorney at Law, (1911 – 1988) who had previously served in the U.S. military forces and had been engaged as a part of the Allied Forces’ prosecution team in the preparatory legal work leading up to the Nuremberg trials and participated in the hearings before the International Military Tribunal, lay the corner stone for the law firm in Germany in the early 1950’s, Since that time, the firm has carried on Mr. O’Haire’s tradition of advocating for human rights and the rights of individuals by representing people who require assistance with legal issues arising under U.S. law.
Mr. Walter O’Haire, Attorney at Law, (1911 – 1988) who had previously served in the U.S. military forces and had been engaged as a part of the Allied Forces’ prosecution team in the preparatory legal work leading up to the Nuremberg trials and participated in the hearings before the International Military Tribunal, lay the corner stone for the law firm in Germany in the early 1950’s, Since that time, the firm has carried on Mr. O’Haire’s tradition of advocating for human rights and the rights of individuals by representing people who require assistance with legal issues arising under U.S. law.
Chief United States Counsel Justice Robert Jackson delivers the prosecution's opening statement at the International Military Tribunal. Nuremberg, Germany, November 21, 1945.
Photo courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.
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Our law firm’s beginning can be traced to the courtroom in Nürnberg, Germany, where, following World War II, the International Military Tribunal tried major war criminals. Walter O’Haire (1911 – 1988), who had previously served in the U.S. military, participated in the trials as part of the Allied Forces' prosecution team.
The International Military Tribunal was the first real international court. The trial procedures used then, including presentation of evidence and cross examination of witnesses, led to the further development of international accountability and protection of human rights, important principles of our law firm. Other international courts can trace their beginnings to the International Military Tribunal. These include the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands (the principle court of the United Nations, established in 1945) and the International Criminal Court (an independent, permanent, international court established by the Rome Statute which entered into force in 2002 after it had been ratified by 60 countries.) The ICC is also located in The Hague, Netherlands.
Robert J. Fiore joined the law firm in 1963
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New York attorney Robert J. Fiore joined Walter O’Haire in the law firm in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1963. Mr. Fiore managed the firm with its diverse international law practice representing US military members and their families, as well as non-Americans who needed assistance with American law, until his retirement from the active practice of law in 2007. Throughout his career, Mr. Fiore always helped those in need, including US service members and non-Americans with claims against American manufacturers of dangerous products shipped to Europe. For his outstanding contribution and voluntary service in the development of the friendship between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America, the German government honored Mr. Fiore by presenting him with the 'Bundesverdienstkreuz', the highest service award in Germany, on January 21, 2004.
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Hessen’s Minister of Justice, Christian Wagner (left) presents Robert J. Fiore (right) with the ‘Bundesverdienstkreuz’ in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Photo courtesy of Rauff, Steuben-Schurz Bulletin No. 4, February 2004.
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Following Mr. Fiore’s retirement, the law firm's office on Kaiserstrasse in Frankfurt was closed. O’Haire & Fiore, P.A, was then re-founded in Miami, Florida. The new law firm continues both Mr. O'Haire's and Mr. Fiore’s work and missions, seeking justice for individuals and promoting human rights.