Recognized for more than 35 years of legal experience, community service, and leadership across central Pennsylvania.
Real estate litigation attorney Helen Gemmill has been named a Central Penn Business Journal Icon honoree for 2026. The Icon Honors celebrates business leaders, over the age of 60, who have achieved notable success in their fields and whose integrity, selfless service, and vision have made a significant impact on the central Pennsylvania community.
For more than 35 years, Helen has represented clients in business disputes. For the past 20 years, she has focused her practice on real estate litigation involving zoning, land development, title challenges, easements, and planned communities.
Aside from her legal practice, Helen has devoted countless hours to serving the legal community, the central Pennsylvania community, and her law firm community. She currently serves as vice president of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation’s board of directors, supporting statewide programs that increase the public’s understanding of the law and promote equal access to justice. She has donated her time, knowledge, and resources to many local nonprofits as a board member, volunteer, and supporter. She has mentored McNees attorneys, championed its alternative work policy, and led programs that brought together junior and senior women attorneys with businesswomen to collaborate, learn, and serve.
In 2021, the Central Penn Business Journal named Helen to its Women of Influence Circle of Excellence, which celebrates high-achieving women making a positive impact in their communities and workplaces. She was also honored in the Tribute to Women of Excellence by the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.
Learn more about Helen and all of this year’s Icon Honors recipients here.
McNees Wallace & Nurick continues to grow and strengthen its team with the addition of four former law clerks: Morgane Barry, Madison Butler, Sarah Meehan and Josiah Montgomery. Key takeaways: “Welcoming Morgane, Madison, Sarah and Josiah is an exciting next step for each of them and for our firm,” said McNees Chair Brian Jackson. “They bring […]
When unclear property ownership threatened the preservation of the Knoxville African-American Cemetery, we helped establish a nonprofit organization and secure the legal title needed to protect and maintain the historic burial ground. Challenge The Knoxville African-American Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 130 African Americans, including veterans of the Civil War, World […]
Can vacant woodland with almost no visitors still qualify as a “purely public charity” exempt from Pennsylvania real estate tax? In a June 2026 decision involving a Pennsylvania land trust, the Commonwealth Court found that it can. The decision provides important guidance for conservation and historic-preservation organizations seeking real estate tax exemptions, particularly when their […]
McNees Wallace & Nurick today announced that real estate and land use attorney Peter Wertz has been elected to membership, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Membership at McNees signifies full investment and inclusion in the firm’s leadership structure, recognizing attorneys who demonstrate professional excellence, a client-centered approach, and a commitment to the firm’s values. “We’re excited […]
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