Michael R. Overmyer

Michael R. Overmyer

Partner, Rochester Office Leader, Lippes Mathias LLP

Years in current role: 4+

What changes in the legal industry do you believe will have the biggest impact on clients over the next few years?

Without question, the advancement of AI. It is improving exponentially on a daily basis, and there will be some significant bumps along the way, many of which we have all read about, but the resources that have been invested in AI will result in a long-term great new tool that will improve efficiency in the legal space that might be truly profound.

What is one challenge currently facing the legal profession that deserves more attention?

I’m curious how AI implementation will affect the demand for legal services over time, and whether it will reduce the regular use of counsel in certain practice areas. The more interesting long-term question might be what high law school enrollment means in an environment where technology is taking on much of the work younger lawyers have historically used to build their skills. The profession hasn’t fully grappled with that yet.

How do you balance legal expertise with client service and relationship-building?

Client service and legal expertise aren’t at odds for me. A client who understands what’s happening and why is easier to counsel, faster to make decisions, and more likely to call before a problem becomes a crisis. So staying accessible isn’t separate from doing good legal work; it’s part of it. My team shares that approach. We move quickly on client communications because leaving someone waiting on a legal question rarely makes the answer better.

How important is community involvement or pro bono work within your organization?

Lippes as a firm has a passionate and devout group that is dedicated to helping in the community, including performing extensive pro bono work, much of which is independently spearheaded by many of the wonderful people who work at the firm.

What is one accomplishment — professional or personal — that you are especially proud of?

Over the years, I’ve built lasting relationships with clients who have trusted me with their most consequential legal matters, and many of those relationships have grown into genuine long-term partnerships. That trust isn’t given freely, and earning it repeatedly, across different clients and different challenges, is something I’m genuinely proud of.

This profile is part of our Real Estate Law Power List for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at nydailyrecord.com.