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Jill D. Laney

Partner

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP

Jill Laney earned her law degree from Willamette University in 1993. In 2002, she came on board at Cosgrave Vergeer Kester, a full-service law firm.

She rose to become the firm鈥檚 first female managing partner in 2010, a major achievement in an 80-year-old, well-established law firm. She currently leads Cosgrave Vergeer Kester鈥檚 business practice group. She鈥檚 active in mentoring within the firm and is in community affairs outside of her capacity as an attorney.

Laney is past president of Commercial Real Estate Women, an organization she has belonged to since the early 1990s.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great organization because it provides social and professional networking for a number of related disciplines 鈥� lawyers, architects, brokers, environmentalists 鈥� and that network expands the potential for all of us,鈥� she said.

Since 2007, Laney has volunteered as a personal shopper for Dress for Success Oregon, a group that helps disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a support network and career development tools.

Laney is a past member of the St. Andrew Legal Clinic鈥檚 board of directors, working to provide legal help for low- and moderate-income people in need of family law assistance. Since 1995, she has been a board member of Griffith Rubber Mills, a locally owned, nationwide manufacturing firm established in 1911. She is also very active in mentoring young employees at her firm 鈥� both attorneys and administrative staff.

鈥淢entoring is something that is inherent in the business,鈥� Laney said. 鈥淓xperienced lawyers are always willing to help eager young attorneys. I try to make myself available.

鈥淎s for being the first female as managing partner, there have been a lot of women who have come before me to thread the needle, so to speak.鈥�

Her particular area of expertise is in real estate, and she recognizes the changes brought about by economic and social shifts.

鈥淭he number of real estate deals is above historical context (right now),鈥� Laney said. 鈥淗aving been through the recession, we ask ourselves how long this can sustain itself. I think that owners and investors are finding new challenges. (After selling an investment property) it is now more difficult to find replacement property, and that pushes the boundaries on tax-free exchanges. In turn, it changes the way business is being done. The landscape is more complicated.鈥�