Mary-Ann Wilson
Securing Future
Generations Through
Prudent Estate Planning
by Nick Swedberg
There are attorneys who work with
people on just one legal matter and move
on. Others maintain longtime relationships
with their clients. It takes a special kind
of lawyer to advise clients through the
generations of a family.
Mary-Ann Wilson is one of those
attorneys. A partner at Harrison &
Held LLP in Chicago, she focuses on tax
planning and estate planning. In her almost
40 years of practice, Wilson has served as a
friend to clients and a mentor to colleagues.
A spirited debate with her peers in high
school spurred her toward thinking about a
legal career. She’s worked at only a handful of
firms. But the time she’s put in has propelled
her to be one of the most respected estate
planning attorneys in Chicago.
Those who know Wilson believe she is
a caring and kindhearted attorney who
puts the needs of her clients first. To those
she’s guided over the years, she’s seen as
someone who can balance personal and
professional life well, while remaining an
astute problem solver for clients.
The mother of two grown children,
she joined a former mentor in coming
to Harrison & Held years ago. She is the
type of person who makes deep and lasting
relationships with people, both inside and
outside of the office.
Moving from Debate to Estate
Wilson attended New Trier West High
School and was part of its first graduating
class. For Wilson, it was a “great 1950s,
1960s childhood” in a neighborhood with
“50 kids living on the same block,” she
says. She was active on the debate team.
Her father, Lawrence Wilson, was a
businessman. Her mother, Bev Wilson, was
a homemaker until Mary-Ann started high
school. Bev was active in civic organizations
and the League of Women Voters.
Wilson believes her mother always wanted to
attend law school. She was hugely supportive
of her daughter’s decision to go into the law.
Wilson credits her mother and her debate
experience at New Trier for pushing her in
that direction. During her sophomore year,
she became interested in labor law during
debates over collective bargaining.
“My goal was to become a labor lawyer,
but things changed,” Wilson says.
Wilson graduated from Brown University
in 1972 with a degree in political science
and went on to the University of Denver
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School of Law. In her second year there, she
took a tax course and found that the puzzlesolving nature of the work appealed to her.
With tax law, she enjoys unraveling the
complex nature of what the law says, what their
client wants and what actually can be done.
Wilson graduated from law school in
1975, took one look at the poor prospects
for finding an interesting job in Denver,
and decided to return home to Chicago.
“I wanted to ski. That’s why I was in
Denver,” Wilson says.
Starting with Solid Mentoring
Wilson’s first firm was Greenberger,
Krauss & Jacobs, the remains of which
are now part of Dykema. She says it was
a “great little firm” that had few associates
and many partners. In the four years she
spent there, Wilson did a little bit of work
in every practice area.
She eventually decided to focus more on
tax law. By 1979, she left to join Schwartz
& Freeman, which became part of Michael
Best & Friedrich in 2001. In 2005, Wilson
left for Harrison & Held.
At Schwartz & Freeman, Wilson found a
more seasoned attorney to help guide her.
She eventually paid the favor forward to a
junior lawyer just starting out.
Also at Schwartz & Freeman, Wilson was
encouraged to take a course on corporate
tax. During those lessons, she found that
the areas she knew best were ones she
already had projects in at the firm.
“The one thing I’ve learned over the
years is you don’t really learn an area of the
law unless you do it,” Wilson says.
Wilson believes she has the right
temperament for estate planning. The
idea of litigating in a courtroom doesn’t
particularly appeal to her.
With estate planning, Wilson has worked
closely with families over the years. Often,
she’ll advise first and second generations to
help them understand the best tax options.
In one case, Wilson is assisting the third
generation of the same family. She says she
“certainly feels very warmly” toward many
of her clients because of the length of time
she’s worked with them.
“Occasionally, it makes sense for a family
to actually have a meeting to discuss the
overall estate plan and goals. I can play a
role I really love, in that I can explain it to
everyone,” Wilson says.
Wilson has been recognized for her
outstanding work in the law. Since 2006,
she has been named a Leading Lawyer in
trust, will and estate planning law.
Wilson is married to Mark Rosenbaum,
63, who also is an attorney. They’ve lived
in Evanston for the last 30 years. Their
children are Libby Rosenbaum, 32, a
vice president of a Washington, D.C.,
nonprofit; and Ted Rosenbaum, 28, a
consulting public transportation engineer
in San Francisco.
A Different Time
“When I first started, every time I did
go to court, the assumption was that I was
someone’s clerk or assistant,” Wilson says.
Wilson was the first woman to be hired at
Greenberger, Krauss. “(I) probably looked
like I was 12,” she says about first walking
into the firm.
Occasionally, issues still arise. Wilson
recalls a meeting with a new client where a
younger, male associate was in the room with
her. The client’s body language indicated
that he thought he should be dealing with
the younger attorney and not her, despite
her being a senior member of the firm.
She sees the practice of law as far different
from what it used to be, and the changes
haven’t been for the good.
“I don’t recommend it for anyone,”
Wilson says. “It’s not what it was when I
came out of law school.”
The emphasis has become less about
serving the client’s best interest and
instead has moved more toward generating
business, she believes.
“In terms of young people in law
school, be sure you really want to practice
law,” Wilson says.
Enjoys Public Speaking
Wilson’s background in high school
debate, coupled with the fact she enjoys
public speaking, may explain why she
now gives talks on estate and business
succession planning. She’s addressed the
Kane County Bar Association and taught
in many programs for the Illinois Institute
for Continuing Legal Education.
“If there is a topic that I understand and
know well, I do enjoy teaching it,” Wilson says.
There’s an added level of challenge in it
for Wilson. Her style is to have the listeners
interrupt her and ask questions. Her goal is
to fully develop the topic, which she’s done
on a number of different subjects.
“When I first started doing some of
these speeches, I would be in a panic
that someone would ask me a question I
wouldn’t have an answer for,” she says.
Wilson also has done presentations for
clients who have questions on a particular
matter. The effort is just another part of the
extra mile Wilson goes with clients.
From Young Lawyer to Mentor
Stuart Duhl has known Wilson for years.
He acted as one of her mentors when she
came to Schwartz & Freeman. They are
both at Harrison & Held now.
Duhl was in the tax department when
Wilson first crossed the door at Schwartz &
Freeman. They began working together on
estate planning right away. They partnered
together to serve a large number of clients who
needed both business tax and estate planning.
“Mary-Ann’s terrific,” Duhl says. “She is
a very nice person, pleasant to be around …
(she) does a wonderful job.”
Duhl says Wilson has become an expert
in estate planning, a focus to which she has
long devoted herself. He believes she is one
of the more recognized attorneys in the
city for estate planning.
The professional relationship that started
decades ago grew into friendship. Their
families now know each other. A couple
of times a year, they’ll get together just to
have dinner. Wilson and Duhl also partner
up to entertain clients regularly.
Duhl says Wilson’s dedication shows
through in how she approaches her work.
She brings a level of caring that clients
often seek out along with her legal advice.
“I just think in today’s day and age, people
are looking more and more for attorneys
who care about them personally,” Duhl says.
Like many legal professionals, Wilson went
from having a mentor to being a mentor.
Beth Engel first worked with Wilson around
1995. Engel, who was at a different law firm
before joining Schwartz & Freeman, had no
experience with estate planning. Wilson took
Engel under her wing and showed Engel the
ropes of estate planning law.
“Nobody was as wonderful as her, and I
tell her that all the time,” Engel says.
The two spent a considerable amount of
time working together at the firm. Wilson
would devote personal time beyond the
usual workday to mentoring Engel, she says.
Engel was not married when she began
working with Wilson. To Engel, her
mentor made keeping up strong personal
and professional lives easy.
“She was very good at balancing it all,”
Engel says. Wilson always found the time to
attend her own children’s activities, she adds.
Wilson is a role model as an attorney and
parent, says Engel. She remembers being
in tears when she told Wilson that she was
leaving Schwartz & Freeman after 3½ years.
“She was so patient and kind,” Engel
says. Engel now is a senior vice president
for Wells Fargo and has a family of her own.
“I’m a mom now, balancing everything,”
Engel says. She has regularly sent Wilson
referrals, trusting in her mentor’s expertise.
The two meet for lunch occasionally and
frequently chat on the phone.
Engel thinks of Wilson as a teacher. Engel
has worked with many attorneys, and few
were so willing to put in the time with her.
“She really invested in me,” Engel says.
“What she did with me was way over and
above what anybody has ever done.”
Whether working with clients or fellow
professionals, Wilson continues to invest in
people’s long-term well-being. ■
This article originally appeared in Leading Lawyers Magazine—Women’s Edition for 2015 and has been reprinted with permission. © 2015 Law Bulletin Publishing Co.