The firm was founded in 1965 by Vincent J. Apruzzese, who later became President of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and Frank X. McDermott, who served both in the General Assembly and Senate of the State Legislature. Over the past four decades the firm has provided a wide range of services, exclusively to management, in both the private and public sectors.  Its clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to emerging business enterprises; state and local government entities; universities, community colleges to local school districts.

Apruzzese McDermott has continuously expanded its pool of legal talent by securing the best and the brightest attorneys to services its clients.  For example, it recruited Maurice J. Nelligan, first Executive Director of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission; Francis A. Mastro, supervising attorney for the NLRB and later in-house counsel to Ingersoll Rand Corporation; Robert C. Clarke of the Public Employment Relations Commission; Barry Marell, Director Emeritus and past Chair of the Corporate and Business Law section of the New Jersey State Bar; Mark J. Blunda and James L. Plosia from Sills Cummis and Lisa Barre-Quick, formerly of Mudge Rose.

Apruzzese McDermott has been given the highest rating for legal knowledge and ethics (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell and has also been listed in its publication "Bar Rigister of Pre-eminent Lawyers." In 2008, members of the firm had the distinction of being selected for Best Lawyers in America, New York Area Superlawyers and New Jersey Superlawyers.  Apruzzese McDermott attorneys have also been called upon to serve the public interest as Judges of the Superior Court of New Jersey, the Commissioner of Labor and University Trustees.