Nancy A. McKinley

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Partner/Chair of the Trust and Estates Department, Lacy Katzen LLP

Years in current role: Practicing 25 years/Partner since 2021/Chair since 2022

What is your biggest professional goal for the rest of this year?

I chair Lacy Katzen LLP’s trust and estates department. We have knowledgeable and experienced staff and attorneys that are committed to serving our clients and I am always looking for quality attorneys to join our team so that we continue to have a depth of knowledge and experience long after I am retired. So, my goal is to continue to grow our department to serve more clients in Monroe and surrounding Counties by adding quality attorneys and staff as needed.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenges for the legal industry locally in the near future?

With the advancement in technology and artificial intelligence, we need to find ways to use this new technology to better serve our clients and yet still maintain our high ethical standards.

What are your favorite aspects of the types of law you practice?

I love helping people. I practice primarily in the trust and estates area and sometimes I am helping clients to resolve problems, such as a client who is struggling to decide how they want their estate distributed at death, is dealing with a child who cannot manage their finances, a client who has a disabled child and wants to leave that child an inheritance, or children who are trying to help elderly parents transition from independent living to assisted living or nursing home care. It is very rewarding when I can help a client and they thank me for the help.

What is your favorite time of year in the Rochester region and why?

I love spring. I know that spring is right around the corner when my husband starts talking about tapping trees for maple syrup. I like seeing the flowers and trees in bloom. The birds start migrating back and we start to see baby birds. This year, we had a nest of baby bunnies in our flower bed and they were adorable. On our property we also see does with fawns, and the pond on our property attracts geese and their babies. It is wonderful seeing nature come alive after winter.

What career do you think you would have if you weren’t a lawyer?

My second passion is quilting. I have entered quilts into the local quilt show here in Rochester. I love fabric, designing quilts and teaching others, so I think I would have liked to own a quilt shop.

This profile is part of our Trusts & Estates Power List for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at nydailyrecord.com.