About Us

McNees fosters a firm culture that attracts and retains the best people and enables each of us to achieve our goals. We work with enthusiasm and unity of purpose, and we continue as leaders in our community and profession. Openness, inclusiveness, fairness, respect, dignity, and collegiality drive us to better serve our clients and grow as professionals.

Committing in our Strategic Plan to “create, maintain, and advance” diversity in the workplace

At McNees, we create, maintain, and advance a diverse workplace through education and behavior. We hire CAMP 1L Associates (see  the Community Involvement section below), we conduct at least four Women’s Network events (see the Women’s Network section below), and we make strategic contributions to community and professional organizations that promote diversity.

The McNees LEAP Program helps Black-owned and Black-operated businesses overcome certain barriers to entry that are caused, in part, by institutional racism by providing sophisticated legal services. In launching the Legal Equity Advancement Program (LEAP) in 2020, we acknowledged that most new businesses, including most Black-owned and Black-controlled businesses, lack the resources necessary to access the sophisticated legal services needed to successfully launch, position and grow a business in today’s interconnected world. Given the events of 2020, we saw the program as an opportunity to utilize our particular skills in a meaningful way to support the Black community in our area.

view the McNees LEAP Website

McNees’ core values are openness, inclusiveness, fairness, respect, dignity, and collegiality.

As part of this inclusiveness, McNees is committed to fostering diversity in a positive and supportive work environment. We know and have experienced that a diverse group of professionals, including differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and religion, increases the value of our law firm, strengthens our firm’s ability to attract talented individuals, and enhances our ability to retain and serve our clients.  We welcome the unique perspectives derived from diverse life histories and experiences.  We recognize, understand, and appreciate that bringing together talented people from varied backgrounds creates a dynamic environment in which thoughtful and imaginative solutions to difficult legal problems are born. Maintaining an inclusive organization where all are and feel welcomed and empowered to succeed enables us to provide the breadth of experience and perspective that best serves our clients and our community.

Our commitment to cultivate and maintain a diverse workforce remains at the core of our outreach, retention and promotion efforts as we strive to maintain a firm culture that taps into the potential of every contributor.  As such, we are committed to making diversity an integral part of every facet of our firm, including our recruitment, hiring and training efforts, as well as the organizations we belong to and programs we sponsor.

As a leader in our communities and our profession, we also seek to extend our commitment to inclusiveness and diversity beyond our own firm.  We seek opportunities to do business with diverse suppliers. Further, we have established and led the Dauphin County Bar Association’s Equal Professional Opportunity Committee and the Capital Area Managing Partners (CAMP) Diversity Initiative (see  the Community Involvement section below), an organization dedicated to the goal of significantly increasing the number of minority lawyers who practice in the Capital Region.  We look to create additional, broader efforts and opportunities for the cultivation of diversity in the legal profession. For example, the Widener Black Law Students Association recently hosted a networking reception where our Chairman, Hiring Committee Chair, PDEC Chair, and one of our associates, who is an alumnae attended and participated.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is charged with ensuring that our commitment continues to translate into tangible efforts and resulting success both internally and externally.   The Committee includes the following:

• Our Management Committee’s Servant Leadership Primary Excellence Goal Champion
• Manager, Talent Acquisition
• Chair, Professional Personnel Development Committee
• Chair, Labor & Employment Practice Group
• Director, Human Resources
• Firm Chairperson (ex-officio)

At McNees our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion includes our active community involvement and engagement.   Our attorneys and staff actively participate in and/or provide financial support to many organizations that assist other attorneys, law students, women and people of color, and the disenfranchised across local and regional communities in which we practice and live. These programs include partnerships with the Capital Area Managing Partners 1L program, Keystone Human Services, Foundation for Enhancing Communities (women’s fund); King Community Center; LGBT Center of Central PA; United Way of the Capital Region- Women’s Leadership Network.   A few examples of our key sponsorships include the YWCA Greater Harrisburg Black History Month event, YWCA’s Race Against Racism and YWCA’s Eliminating Racism Empowering Women; Girls on the Run and the Water Street Mission.

Diversity and Inclusion Professionals of Central PA

The Diversity and Inclusion Professionals of Central PA represent a diverse cross-section of business, education, government, health care, law, both non-profit and for-profit organizations, and individuals. Members of the organization meet bi-monthly to discuss and exchange best practices ideas on various topics, including cultural competence, inclusive human resource policies in the office, change management, LGBTQ in the workplace, and integrating employees with disabilities.

Dauphin County Bar Association Capital Area Managing Partners Diversity Initiative (CAMP)

The Harrisburg Capital Area Managing Partners’ Diversity Initiative (CAMP) prides itself on making diversity a key element of their leadership culture and a core value of their organization. The CAMP program was developed by the Dauphin County Bar Association Equal Professional Opportunity Committee (“EPOC”) under the leadership of its long-time past Committee Chair and McNees retired partner, David Lehman. The EPOC is the only Dauphin County Bar Association committee with its own budget and oversees the diversity and inclusion initiatives advanced by the Bar Association.

McNees has participated in the CAMP program every year since its founding in 2004. Each summer, through the CAMP 1L Initiative, we employ a minority first year law school student (1L) as an intern, who participates in our Summer Associate Program along with our second year law student interns (2Ls). The CAMP 1L Initiative has allowed us to see first-hand the excellent work product of minority first year law students who might not have come to our attention in our 2L summer hiring program. We currently employ three attorneys (two associates and one member) who are CAMP alumni.

McNees members, including our Chairman, Hiring Committee Chair, and PDEC Chair, have assisted in the CAMP 1L Initiative interview and candidate assignment process.  McNees also hosts a program for the CAMP participants each year that focuses on job opportunities in the energy and telecommunications fields.

McNees and Black History Month

Throughout history, the people of this country have used the law to change the landscape of society, following the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “all men are created equal.” At McNees, all are treated, and expected to treat others, with equal respect and appreciation. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable and not tolerated.

PA Legal Aid Network Martin Luther King Jr. Program

McNees has sponsored the PA Legal Aid Network Martin Luther King, Jr. Program for five years. The Martin Luther King, Jr. program was established in 1991 to promote cultural and ethnic diversity in legal services and to honor Dr. King. The MLK program offers summer internships throughout the PA Legal Aid Network for rising second- and third-year law students.

McNees also participates in a variety of local diversity programs and initiatives and we are in partnerships with:

• American Association of University Women
• Central York School District Diversity Education Committee
• Diversity and Inclusion Professionals of PA
• Foundation for Enhancing Communities
• Girls on the Run
• Keystone Human Services
• King Community Center
• LGBT Center of Central PA
• United Way Women’s Leadership Network
• Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
• Water Street Mission
• YWCA Greater Harrisburg Black History Month
• YWCA’s Race Against Racism
• YWCA’s Eliminating Racism Empowering Women

The women attorneys at McNees are leaders in our firm and our community, and share a commitment to excellence. They work with our clients to solve legal challenges in multiple practices areas. They also devote themselves to supporting and guiding organizations throughout our communities.

McNees supports the professional development and advancement of women in our firm through active mentoring by female and male attorneys and valuable networking and business development training.   McNees encourages our attorneys to participate and hold leadership positions in women-centric and professional organizations.

McNees is proud to have many valued women in leadership roles at the firm. The women leaders of our firm make up 37% of Attorneys, 25% of Members, 46% of Associates, and 55% of Of Counsel. The women at McNees comprise 25% of our Management Committee and are leaders of 26% of our Practice Groups.

Women’s Network Mission

The mission of the McNees Women’s Network is to provide a forum to build professional connections and promote business opportunities through substantive programs and social events.  The McNees Women’s Network was formed in 2004, and today includes over 500 women who are clients, vendors, and friends of McNees.

Each year, we present three substantive programs and one social program for our Women’s Network members.

2022 programs:

• McNees Women’s Network Reconnects on the Riverfront
  July 13, 2022

2021 programs:

• What’s really going on with Title IX?
  September 9, 2021
  Nearly every week, a news story references Title IX, usually in the context of sexual assault or gender equality at a college or university. But what exactly is Title IX and what does it require? Join us for a discussion about this important law, the critical rights it establishes, and the rapidly changing regulatory environment surrounding it. Find out what’s really behind the Title IX stories in the news.

2020 programs:

• Leadership & Culture: Shaping a Workplace Where All People Can Thrive
  Join us on April 1 as Sharon Ryan discusses the roles of leaders at all levels of an organization in making cultural change and in shaping a workplace where all people can thrive. Dasher is an example of a successful local, woman-owned business that retains more than 90% of its workforce by having a strong culture and by providing many non-traditional employee benefits. The combination of culture and non-traditional benefits helps teammates who are facing issues occurring outside the workplace so they can be successful inside the workplace. Sharon will affirm for all of us that social responsibility increases profitability and customer satisfaction.

2019 programs:

• Communicating Trust:
  A Strategic Approach to Reputation Management
  Every day we hear news reports of events that alter our opinions of organizations—such as data breaches, labor disputes and leadership changes. Even the best organizations face issues that can affect their reputation.Your organization’s reputation is its most valuable asset. It’s far too important to be left vulnerable or even taken for granted. But are you doing everything you can to effectively manage your brand’s good reputation? Do you understand the relationship between reputation and trust?What can you do to help protect your organization’s good reputation? Join us on June 5 to learn more as Tracy Pawelski presents “Communicating Trust: A Strategic Approach to Reputation Management.

2018 programs:

• What Can I Do? What Can We Do? What Must We Do? Stopping Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
  The #MeToo and Time’s Up initiatives have brought long overdue attention to sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the workplace. Now the challenge is stopping it. Please join us for this practical and insightful program presented by Kendra Saunders of Millersville University and Claudia Williams of The Human Zone, LLC.

2017 programs:

• Holiday Reception
  The McNees Women’s Network cordially invites you to join us at tour annual holiday reception, along with our special guests First Lady Frances Wolf and Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards.
• Succession Planning For Your Business and Your Job
  Most people don’t expect to stay in a particular job or own a business for their entire lives. But how do you ensure that what you have built during your career is sustained after you take another position, retire, or transfer your ownership? Come join us as McNees attorneys Kelley Kaufman and Nicole Kaylor share practical advice on planning for continued business success.
• Why You Need Millennials In Your Workplace
  Millennials are the generation generally thought of as being born between 1982 and 2003. By the year 2025, Millennials are projected to make up as much as 75% of the U.S. workforce. But that fact should not produce anxiety for employers and their workers born before 1982.We invite you to join us as the McNees Women’s Network proudly presents a program featuring a panel of our own Millennial women attorneys. Come learn just how much better your business can be today—and in the future—with the talents of Millennials!
• Real Life Questions for Real Lawyers
  Many of you consult with attorneys for your business and personal needs. But do you ever wonder what the law is on something that may not justify a call to a lawyer (for yourself, your family or a hypothetical “friend”)? Well, don’t resort to an internet search! Join us instead for a panel program featuring McNees attorneys Debra Cantor, Pina McCarthy and Elizabeth Mullaugh as they answer common questions involving family law, real estate, and estate planning and administration.
  

Our 2016 programs:

• Lessons From Business Women In History That You Have Never Heard Of
  Today there are many well-known, successful women in business. We read their books, study their paths, and try to replicate their achievements in our own careers. But enough about them. We want to share with you the much more interesting stories of 5 not well-known women in history who overcame the incredible challenges of their times to excel in the business world.Attorney and historian wannabe Helen Gemmill presents the entertaining and fascinating tales of these women, and discover what we can still learn from them for the business world of 2016.
• Meaningful Community Engagement
  Most business women recognize the benefits that flow from Board and volunteer service in the communities where they live and work. But how do you find and choose the right opportunities that will fulfill you personally and assist with your career development? Join us as the McNees Women’s Network presents a panel discussion on steps you can take to help ensure that the time you devote in community engagement is meaningful and worthwhile.
• Holiday Gathering. For this social event, we joined together in honor of the holiday season for an evening of celebration at The Cork Factory Hotel on December 6 and at the Greystone Public House on December 8. The time was filled with networking, eating, drinking, building relationships and contacts, and overall holiday cheer.

Our 2015 substantive programs were:

• The Evolution of Diversity in the Workplace. This panel discussion featured the Commonwealth’s Physician General Rachel Levine, M.D., and McNees attorneys Barbara Darkes and Rachel Hadrick.  McNees attorney Kathleen Bruder served as moderator.  Our panelists discussed how the concept of a diverse workplace has changed dramatically, continues to evolve, and how we can benefit from and thrive in a truly diverse environment. Each of the panelists shared advice from their own workplace experiences as a transgender woman, lesbian woman, and woman of color.
• Personality Testing in the Workplace. McNees employment law attorneys Denise Elliott and Kelley Kaufman discussed the benefits and detriments of personality testing in the workplace. The program explained how employers can fairly use personality testing and what answers to sample test questions may say – or be interpreted to say – about employees.
• The State of the Healthcare Industry:  What’s Really Going On? For this program, Kelly S. Lieblein, Regional Vice President of Highmark Blue Shield, discussed what’s really going on in the healthcare industry today – and likely tomorrow. She shared what the industry is doing to reduce costs, improve care and outcomes, protect privacy, implement new technology, and transform the delivery of healthcare services.

• Holiday Gathering. For this social event, we joined together in honor of the holiday season for an evening of celebration at Hollywood Casino. The time was filled with networking, eating, drinking, building relationships and contacts, and overall holiday cheer (as well as a few bets on the horses that we watched race from our private conference room).

The Women’s Network continues to be one of the few professional women’s groups of its kind in Central Pennsylvania. Our programming and events foster multiple opportunities for professional women to learn, discuss, network and socialize. If you are interested in joining our McNees Women’s Network, please contact Karen Swaringen at kswaringen@mcneeslaw.com.

McNees Wallace and Nurick cultivates as its core values openness, inclusiveness, fairness, respect, dignity and collegiality.  Our commitment to these core values extends to all aspects of the Firm’s operations, including our vendor relationships.  The Firm desires to ensure that we will provide the greatest level of client service with the help of vendors who share our values.  Accordingly, it is the policy of McNees Wallace and Nurick to encourage the inclusion of diverse businesses among those vendors with whom the Firm contracts.

Recognizing that the Firm has an existing network of suppliers, we continue to seek businesses to help us better meet our needs and serve our clients.  As we work to identify new vendors, we will consider qualified minority, woman, veteran, service disabled veteran, LGBTQ, and disability-owned business enterprises whenever possible.  While we encourage diverse businesses to receive the appropriate third-party certification, we will seek opportunities to work with all qualified diverse business enterprises.

Whether a vendor is a current or potential provider of services or products to the Firm, we expect our vendors to, among other things (i) provide quality services or products at a competitive pricing structure; (ii) be responsible; (iii) comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations; (iv) provide timely service and prompt resolution of any issues; and (v) support the Firm core values.

McNees is committed to our policy of equal employment opportunity for all employees regardless of race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. Below are ways McNees supports the LGBTQ community:

Domestic Partner benefits

McNees recognizes that families have many different structures, so in furtherance of our inclusiveness, we offer domestic partner coverage for medical, dental, and vision plans at the standard premium spousal rates for domestic partners.

Pennsylvania Competes

McNees, along with many other community supporters, joined the Pennsylvania Competes movement to prohibit discrimination against hardworking lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Pennsylvanians. We also financially support the Central PA LGBT Center and have many attorneys and staff who have committed their individual funds and time to the Central PA LGBT Center.

McNees exists to provide professional services of superior value which excel our clients’ expectations. We do this with creativity and integrity, anticipating problems and understanding our clients’ needs. Recruiting diverse and talented employees to fit our winning team is something we pride ourselves on.

Active participation in the Dauphin County Bar Association (“DCBA”) Minority Job Fair and CAMP 1L Initiative

The DCBA, through its Equal Professional Opportunity Committee (“EPOC”), sponsors a job fair and invites first-year law students for summer internships. Each fall, the EPOC recruits students from a wide variety of schools to submit their resumes. Many firms invite students for interviews, and several of them receive multiple job offers.  Through the CAMP 1L Initiative, we employ a minority first year law school student (1L), who participates in our   Summer Associate Program 

along with our second year law student interns (2Ls).  For more than a decade, the McNees community has benefited from participating in this Diversity Initiative, and McNees has elected to build upon the DCBA CAMP 1L program by successfully launching a Winter Clerk pilot program in 2017 through which McNees employs a member of the CAMP 1L Program for 10-15 hours per week during the second semester of law school.

Our Hiring Committee plans to visit numerous law schools to recruit 2L candidates to fill associate positions. We also solicit resumes from law schools and participate in at least one Job Fair. Of course, we welcome applications from law students attending schools where we do not recruit.