Mongioi of Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana LLP: It is what it is

Name: Mary Mongioi Title: Partner Company/firm: Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana LLP Joined the Firm: 2004 Follow my Company on Twitter: @Forchelli_law What recent project or transaction are you most proud of? I am most proud of a matter which over many years, has allowed me to use all of my skills. It began as a guardianship defense case, became an accounting proceeding in Surrogate's Court, and morphed into a settlement back in the Guardianship Part - and essentially became a real estate/corporate refinance of a family business and other assets. Presently the client is securing the financing that will allow this family to settle their differences and still preserve cash flow that permits them to care for a severely handicapped and aging parent, while family wealth will remain intact and passed on to the nest generation. The issues presented, the family dynamics, the complicated tax and transactional issues - all truly underscored for me why I became a lawyer - to advocate and give a voice to those who have none, and to protect my clients' interests as vociferously as possible while striving to find a practical solution which resolved all of the matters between the different family factions. What is your favorite quote? Simple - "It is what it is." I say it every day - several times - it has become my mantra. It reminds me to stay calm and remember that I can't control everything. Most importantly, it helps me to accept things the way they are and to devise a strategy that will allow me succeed under the circumstances that are presented - most important, it helps me to put the time I would have spent fighting to change them to much better use! Mary Mongioi concentrates her practice in the tax, trusts and estates department, where she offers clients years of experience in the handling of litigated estate matters as well as in civil litigation, appellate practice and real estate. In addition to estate matters, Mongioi has significant experience handling the foreclosure of mortgages and other liens held by major financial institutions, mid-sized and small investors, and commercial enterprises, on both residential and commercial real property. She has represented several financial institutions in connection with loan transactions and drafting complex commercial loan documents for the restructure of non-performing loans, with emphasis on co-operative loans. She is admitted to the New York State bar and is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, where she is Vice Chair of the Real Property Committee and also a member of the Community Relations Committee. Ms. Mongioi was an adjunct professor of law at Touro College (2001-2005), where she taught business law and real estate. She has authored numerous articles for the New York Law Journal on varying estate litigation issues including "Obligation to Account" (2007), "Interplay of Family, Inheritance and Trust Principles" (2008), "The Estate Tax Apportionment Clause: Friend or Foe?" (2009) "John D.: Appointing Monitor Not in Keeping With Legislative Intent of Article 81" (2010), To the Holder of Antiquity Go the Spoils or Do They?" (2010), "Your Money and Your Life" (2011), "Look Before You Leap - Balancing the Roles of Attorney and Executor or Trustee of an Estate" (2011), "Draft Once, Proofread Twice" (2012), "To Move For Summary Judgment or Not - That is the Question!" (2013). Most recently, she was honored by Long Island Business News with its 'Leadership in Law' Award.