Jennifer J. Payseno

Twenty months ago, devastated by the sudden end of a long term marriage, I sought legal counsel. I met with and retained Jennifer Payseno. I was impressed by her ability to sort through my emotional issues while highlighting all of the important legal concerns that would be affecting my case. As m...y spouse was in the legal profession, she understood the need for me to have an advocate that could “level the playing field.” I found her advice to be straightforward, clear and calming. This was especially important at a time in my life where I found decision making difficult. She was responsive to each and every one of my concerns. Jennifer and her team mastered the complicated components of my family business that confounded easy solutions in settlement. As additional life changing events occurred during this process, Jennifer had continuing compassion for me and a strategy for all the new legal issues these changes presented. I have known her during the most difficult time of my life and found her work for me to be thorough, strategic, professional and compassionate. I would recommend her and her team of Jessica Moore and Kristina Zimmerman to anyone who finds their marital life compromised and who needs a strong, clear thinking advocate.

Undergoing a divorce as a reluctant defendant...particularly after a long term marriage with complicated business, contractual, estate, and childcare-related issues...is a brutally emotional process that most of us have no experience in navigating. The terminology, the invasive nature of inquiries, ...and the prescriptive legal requirements are all foreign. Having someone representing you that can maintain a rational discourse with you as well as opposing counsel is essential. Jennifer Payseno and her team, specifically co-counsel Jessica Moore, did exactly that for me. They presented the hard realities of my case, the law, and early-on set my expectations. At the same time they developed solid defensive strategies built on facts, events, and chronology to counter the bombastic theatrics of opposing counsel. This was a protracted roller coaster ride and at times, Jennier and her team served as both legal counselor and therapist. Her style is both collaborative and strategically offensive; a nice mix. During nearly a full year of support and hand holding with enough twists and turns to make a long running soap opera, Jennifer was not only able to pull my emotions off the ceiling, but steadly educate opposing counsel on the rational weaknesses in their case. Despite our defendant status, Jennifer and her team took the lead in nearly every filing and proposal to ensure that plaintiff's counsel reacted to our templates, ideas, and requirements. This is not the cheapest way to go, but the only way when facing a wave of unrealistic and marignally logical thinking from opposing counsel. I didn't always like what Jennifer was telling me...and at times didn't even follow that advice...but her counsel was dead on accurate. She and Jessica always had my interests at heart and were extraordinary in their knowledge of the ever-changing details. There was never the need to revisit issues or bring them up to speed...they were nearly aways acting, not reacting. At times I bristled at the McKinley Irvin business model of prepaying for a six-figure legal defense ahead of the services provided, but the exceptional quality of that defense is unquestioned.

Jennifer and her team did an excellent job on my case. It was a very complicated case that required much time. Jennifer had been recommended to me by a friend. After reviewing her and the firm, I determined that it would be too expensive to go with her. I went to another attorney first, that wasn't g...etting me anywhere so I went to another and another! After three attorneys and a serious mistake made by the third, I reached out to Jennifer. She was compassionate, knowledgeable and in the end we were more successful in saving my family and my hard earned assets than I could of hoped for. The costs were extraordinary but I believe if I had gone with Jennifer from the beginning it would have been more manageable. I highly recommend Jennifer and would have gladly given five stars except for the high cost of the litigation.