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Did you ever wonder what made us decide to become lawyers? Maybe you wondered what we do when we’re not practicing law? Welcome to the latest post from our new “Get to Know Us” series, featuring different members of our MCCM team, where we answer those questions. Our next post features Partner Daniel S. Williford.

Why did I become a lawyer?

I chose to become a lawyer for two reasons.  First, I wanted my career to be about helping people.  Second, because my undergraduate experience at the U of R led to a passion for history.  It was this experience, and a degree in History, Political Science and Legal Studies, that led to my appreciation for court cases and legislative precedent shaping history in many ways.  These factors led me to attend Syracuse University College of Law where I gravitated toward criminal law, national security law and estate law. 

After law school and several internships within the criminal law field, my first job was as an Assistant District Attorney in Monroe County.  Fresh out of law school, it was the best opportunity to gain trial experience.  After meeting with Mike McConville for breakfast one day, I quickly realized Mike’s passion for his clients and the relationships that he has maintained with his clients for many years.  It turned into a transition that I did not expect but remain grateful for.  Ten years later I still believe that estate planning and elder law is the most personable area of law that you can practice.   

What do I do?

My law practice concentrates on estate planning, elder law and estate administration.  Estate planning is the analysis of an individual’s finances and beneficiaries to move towards a plan that encompasses a client’s wishes.  This is often done with potential tax liabilities and long term care costs in mind.  Elder law, or long-term care planning, is a key component to estate planning, because there are important methods for protecting and sheltering assets from potential long-term care costs.  Estate administration is facilitating the smoothest process for the transfer of assets from a decedent to the decedent’s beneficiaries whether this be by Will, Trust, beneficiary designation or joint ownership. 

I particularly enjoy meeting with clients and forging a plan to help them navigate the pitfalls of estate and long-term care planning.  I love the variety because everyone’s asset structure and family dynamic is entirely different.  Each client interaction entails a different  skill, whether it is discussing ways to mitigate estate tax liability or approaches to potential nursing care costs.   

My best advice to clients is to be proactive, because people work hard to accumulate ownership in assets.  It is important to most people to obtain piece of mind that their hard-earned estate will be smoothly distributed to their chosen beneficiaries.    

What work am I most proud of?

I am most proud of the client convenience that we provide at MCCM.  I travel regularly to our satellite offices, client’s homes, hospitals and nursing homes, to make it as easy as possible to meet with clients.  Our firm recently moved our main office from downtown to Meridian Centre, because of the convenience of having an office right off the expressway with no parking issues. 

Tell us a little known fact about you.

A few quick facts.    My family is from the Adirondack Mountains in Schroon Lake, New York.  I love going up there to be in the wilderness, and we still have a family farmhouse property that has been in our family since the 1830s.  I also spent a lot of time on the tennis court in my childhood.  It led me to play college tennis at the U of R where I was a First Team All American and had the second most singles and doubles wins in school history.  

What about your family?

My wife is a first grade teacher, and we went to the same high school.  We have three beautiful children, and a variety of pets from dogs, cats, guinea pigs, chickens and a rabbit.  This is the first year that all three of our kids have been in school, and we currently spend quite a bit of our time shuffling between soccer, baseball, swimming and tennis.    

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About MCCM

McConville Considine Cooman & Morin, P.C. is a full-service law firm based in Rochester, New York, providing high-quality legal services to businesses and individuals since 1979.  With over a dozen attorneys and a full paralegal support staff, the firm is well-positioned to right-size services tailored to each client. We are large enough to provide expertise in a broad range of practice areas, yet small enough to devote prompt, personal attention to our clients.

We represent a diverse range of clients located throughout New York State and New England.  They include individuals, numerous manufacturing and service industry businesses, local governments, and health care professionals, provider groups, facilities and associations. We also serve as local counsel to out-of-state clients and their attorneys who have litigation pending in Western New York courts.  For more information, please contact us at 585.546.2500.