McNees adds three attorneys to growing team
February 18, 2025
Press Releases
HARRISBURG, Pa. — (Feb. 18, 2025) McNees Wallace & Nurick today announced the addition of three new attorneys to its growing roster, bolstering the firm’s Real Estate, Corporate and Tax, and Labor and Employment groups in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Key Notes:
- Jennifer L. Deardorff joins the Real Estate team in Towson, Md.
- Gelareh T. Etesam joins the Corporate and Tax team in Harrisburg, Pa.
- Sarah J. McGowan joins the Labor and Employment team in Harrisburg, Pa.
Jennifer L. Deardorff serves clients from McNees’ Towson, Md. office. She joins the firm’s Real Estate team, helping owners and managers of residential and commercial properties navigate Maryland’s property management laws and processes. She supports landlord-tenant and other real estate matters related to rental properties, multifamily complexes, office buildings, shopping centers, condominiums, homeowner associations and cooperatives.
Deardorff previously worked as a foreclosure attorney, representing mortgage lenders and servicers on more than 100 Maryland foreclosure actions, including mediations, bankruptcy inquiries, eviction proceedings and quiet title actions, in addition to facilitating estate closings with foreclosure purchasers and real estate owned (REO) companies. She earned her law degree from University of Maryland Law and a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Maryland.
Gelareh T. Etesam serves clients from McNees’ Harrisburg, Pa. office, joining the firm’s Corporate and Tax team. She assists clients with corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions and financings, and provides general corporate compliance counsel for businesses across various industries.
Prior to joining McNees, Etesam completed judicial internships with U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane and Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michelle H. Sibert. She earned her law degree from Penn State Dickinson Law and a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech.
Sarah J. McGowan serves clients from McNees’ Harrisburg office. She joins the firm’s growing Labor and Employment group, helping employers navigate state and federal employment laws and regulations and counseling clients on workplace claims and litigation. She works with clients on a range of issues, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance, accommodating employees with disabilities, labor matters, employment discrimination and harassment concerns, occupational safety and health, wage and hour compliance and unemployment compensation.
McGowan comes to McNees after a decade in various public-sector roles, including as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, as well as the Court of Common Pleas of York County. She also previously served as university legal counsel for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE). McGowan earned her law degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University.
“We are excited to welcome Jennifer, Gelareh and Sarah to our team,” said McNees Chair Brian Jackson. “Each of these fine attorneys brings their own individual strengths, and they will bring enhanced value to our clients in both Maryland and Pennsylvania.”
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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 Harrisburg, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Radnor, 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.
