Page 14 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

CARLYN McCAFFREY

PARTNER AT MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY

Carlyn McCaffrey is not only a highly regarded contributor to trusts and estates law, but a trailblazer

and role model for women lawyers everywhere.

Like many, I owe a debt of gratitude to Carlyn for several generations to young, newly affluent
for her generous encouragement throughout single entrepreneurs..
my career. A leading expert on divorce taxation, Carlyn
Carlyn and I met while working together on co-authored one of the seminal and often-cited
an ALIABA program on foreign trusts, quickly treatises on the topic, “Structuring the Tax
forming a bond over what we call “tax talk.” Consequences of Marriage and Divorce.” Car-
Carlyn is and always has been a dedicated and lyn is also credited with creating the defined
tireless worker. She works from before most of value clause in the early 1980s, which at the
BY ELLEN K. us are out of bed in the morning to long after time, was a novel way of transferring property
HARRISON most of us have gone to sleep. Because we have to reduce the risk of an unintended gift tax
traveled together extensively, I can attest to liability.
the fact that her work schedule doesn’t let up Among her many leadership positions
very much, even while on vacation. throughout her career, Carlyn has been deeply
Attending NYU School of Law at night, while involved in the profession’s critical organiza-
working full time, Carlyn graduated first in tions and gives back to her local community
her class in 1967. Following a clerkship, she as well, serving on advisory boards of several
studied for her Master of Laws in Taxation major New York cultural institutions.
(LLM), while teaching as an assistant at NYU On a more personal level, Carlyn has man-
Law. aged to have a stellar career while raising
In 1974, Carlyn joined Weil Gotshal & Manges four children—all of whom adore her. With
as an associate, continuing to teach at night her husband John living in Switzerland and
as an adjunct in both NYU’s Tax Master’s Pro- California to pursue his legal career in aviation
gram and University of Miami Law School’s law, Carlyn was the primary caregiver of the
Estate Planning Program. She made partner family. Despite the challenges, she balanced
at Weil in 1980 and rose to head the firm’s her responsibilities seamlessly and had a long
Trusts & Estates practice. In 2011, rather than and loving marriage.
face mandatory retirement, Carlyn moved to Carlyn is nothing short of inspiring. On
McDermott to co-head the firm’s New York behalf of the entire firm, we congratulate
Private Client practice. It was my pleasure to Carlyn for this most well-deserved Lifetime
join Carlyn there in 2015. Achievement recognition.
Throughout her career, Carlyn has repre-
sented generations of high net worth families
and individuals with a diverse client base rang-
ing from families that have been ultra-wealthy

Ellen K. Harrison is a partner at McDermott Will &
Emery in Washington, D.C.

12 October 2021 |