2017 Women in Professional Services: Nicole Forchelli of Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, LLP

Name: Nicole Forchelli

Title: Tax Certiorari Attorney

Company Name: Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, LLP 

Years in real estate: 4

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of? Nassau County Bar Association

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career? My first job as an attorney was as an assistant district attorney at the Brooklyn DA’s office. As a prosecutor there for four years, myself and the other attorneys carried a very heavy caseload, due in part to Brooklyn’s crowded and overburdened justice system. Although sometimes overwhelming at the time, the long hours and weekends resulted in an incredible amount of trial and case management experience. Working in such a busy arena taught me to think on my feet in high pressure situations, and being in court nearly every day also taught me how to effectively relate to juries and reason with judges. These skills have proven extremely valuable to my career in tax certiorari law, particularly because so much of my work as a property tax attorney involves attending hearings, making board presentations, and negotiating with municipalities, where thinking on your feet and effectively relating to your audience are critical.

Nicole Forchelli (Brooklyn Law School, 2007) concentrates her practice in tax certiorari and municipal law. Currently, her tax certiorari practice includes representing a national Fortune 500 company, and other large-scale commercial clients. Prior to joining the firm, Forchelli was a trial attorney in the Brooklyn district attorney’s office. As a prosecutor, Forchelli managed a caseload of over 50 felony cases at a time, successfully indicted over 100 cases in the grand jury, negotiated hundreds of successful plea bargains, did extensive preparation of police and civilian witnesses for hearings and trials, and conducted and secured convictions in a number of trials. Forchelli was consistently recognized by her superiors for her exceptional performance, and received a discretionary bonus only awarded to the top performers at the office, several years in a row.

Before the district attorney’s office, Forchelli served as a clerk in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Second Department, where she researched many matters before the court, and edited judicial opinions. Forchelli was spotlighted as ‘One to Watch’ by the Long Island Business News, and was profiled by the New York Real Estate Journal in 2015 and 2016. She was honored by RotaCare, Inc. with the Champions for Families award. Most recently, she was honored by Hofstra University with the “Outstanding Women in Law” award.