McNees hosts second annual alumni event
November 24, 2025
Press Releases
On October 29, we welcomed alumni and colleagues for our second annual alumni event. The gathering offered a chance to reconnect reflect on shared experiences, and look ahead together.
A short highlight reel from the program is available here. To watch the full discussion, click here.
A conversation rooted in 90 years of service
This year’s program continued our 90th anniversary celebration. Vice Chair Emeritus Donna Kreiser moderated a panel discussion centered on the firm’s renewed Core Values, their origin in McNees’ founding principles, and where they will direct the firm in the years to come. Donna was joined by panelists, firm Chair Brian Jackson, COO Jenna Wagner, and retired member Harvey Friedenberg.
Below are a few highlights from throughout the conversation.
Donna opened the discussion with a quote from the firm’s founder, Sterling McNees,
“And now we come to the cornerstone on which reputation is built. It is conscientious and successful service to the client. It’s one thing to get the business. It’s another to do the work thoroughly and promptly. One must always balance the effort with the result desired. There is no end to research, even in a simple case. But no case is worth endless research. It takes judgment to know when to say we have gone far enough.”
Where our values began
Harvey reflected on the new Core Values and their integration in the firm’s longstanding culture. He noted that the updated values refine ideas that have been part of McNees from the start. They are not a departure but a clearer expression of what has always mattered.
Brian shared an early story of inclusiveness that has become part of the firm’s culture. In the 1930s, when most firms lacked religious diversity, Sterling McNees encouraged Mr. Nurick to observe the High Holy Days. That moment, Brian noted, was an early sign of the respect and belonging that still defines the firm.
The discussion also touched on milestone decisions that helped shape the modern firm, including the choice in the late 1990s to remain independent rather than merge with a national firm, and the firm’s willingness to modernize compensation and governance during pivotal moments.
How our values guide today’s work
Jenna described how the firm has incorporated the values into daily work. Practice groups have used them as conversation starters on training, collaboration, and client service, and the firm’s performance framework now reflects them in meaningful ways. She noted that people across the organization have embraced the values because they reflect how teams already work.
On the firm’s adaptations in recent years, Brian shared,
“the last five years have presented a lot of demand for an opportunity for change that we have been able to weather again through these values. They are our compass, and they will continue to be. There’s a lot that is similar to those bedrock core values that you would have seen in 1950, 1970, 1990. Same fervor. Same degree of dedication, but the manner in which we’re delivering work product is always going to change and we’re going to be up to adapting to that change over the next 5, 10 and 90 years.”
Looking ahead
The panel also discussed the next generation of lawyers and the future of practice. Younger colleagues bring fluency with technology and a strong desire for inclusion and purpose. The panelists noted that their expectations may help shape new approaches to mentorship, training, and even elements of the business model of private practice. Alumni echoed this perspective and reinforced that the renewed core values simply codify what they have long known McNees to be.
Learn more about McNees’ alumni network.
