McNees Launches Alumni Program to Mark 88th Anniversary
August 8, 2023
Press Releases
HARRISBURG, Pa. — (August 8, 2023) McNees Wallace & Nurick is pleased to announce the launch of its new alumni program to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the firm’s founding.
This new McNees Alumni Program celebrates the firm’s history while fostering connections between McNees attorneys past, present and future. Former McNees attorneys who join the program will gain access to firm news, events, continuing education and job opportunities, among other benefits.
There are hundreds of McNees alumni spread across the nation serving in a wide range of roles – from lawyers in private practice to corporate counsel, nonprofit leaders to public servants, board volunteers to retirees. The McNees Alumni Program brings those diverse perspectives together.
“Our people are at the core of what it means to be McNees. It’s McNees’ strength and what makes us different from other firms,” Donna L. Kreiser, co-vice chair of McNees and Alumni Program champion, said. “We are excited to provide a platform to continue fostering relationships and create a meaningful way to respect and appreciate all the attorneys that have come through the Firm and what they’ve brought to the table.”
The program is overseen by an advisory committee, which includes Kreiser; David Kleppinger, McNees chair emeritus and Penn State University Board of Trustees vice chair; Laura H. Williams, Penn State Dickinson Law associate dean; Tim Deckert, AAA Mid States general counsel; Ashley Nichols-Weber, McNees construction, government procurement and contracting attorney; and program Co-Managers Rebecca Anzel and Elizabeth Maninfior.
Although the roots of McNees date back more than a century, the firm had its official start in 1935 when Sterling G. McNees partnered with Charles Hollinger and Gilbert Nurick to serve the legal needs of Milton Hershey’s chocolate company and related business entities. Seven years later, David M. Wallace joined the firm to become what is now McNees Wallace & Nurick.
McNees has since grown to become a regional client solutions firm with over 150 attorneys practicing from 11 offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
“Sterling McNees and Gilbert Nurick were pillars of the community, and their legacy of community engagement are intrinsically wound into the firm’s core principles. This program is a valuable effort to bind us together, wherever we may be, as McNees continues to evolve,” Kleppinger said.
Over the past five years, under Chair Brian F. Jackson’s leadership, McNees pursued a path of geographic and service expansion, opening new offices in York, Devon and Pittsburgh, Pa., and Towson, Md., as well as launching multiple complementary professional businesses. Each expansion has enhanced the firm’s ability to serve clients, meeting their expectations as trusted advisors.
The firm has added attorneys, paralegals and other support professionals with significant hires in the construction, real estate, corporate, litigation, energy, environmental and cybersecurity disciplines. It also named Jenna R. Wagner as its first Chief Practice Officer, a role in which she helps drive strategic growth initiatives for McNees, including in the areas of client development and retention, talent acquisition, practice diversification and the continued growth of the firm’s burgeoning ancillary companies.
“McNees’ network of experienced and trusted attorneys spans far and wide, and our commitment to Clients First service never ceases,” Jackson said.
Learn more about McNees and its new Alumni Program, here: mcneeslaw.com/about-us.
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McNees is a multidisciplinary law firm founded in 1935 with more than 150 attorneys representing businesses, associations, institutions, municipalities and individuals. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Devon, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Scranton, State College and York, Pa.; Columbus, Ohio; Frederick and Towson, Md.; and Washington, D.C. McNees is a member of the ALFA International Global Legal Network.
