Leading by Example

Rosemarie’s strength, wisdom, and determination inspired Aoife to leave her small country town and head to a city that fit her ambition—New York.

Currently, as Managing Partner Aoife currently manages MMG’s business operations; develops and implements organizational goals, procedures and policies; maintains and develops positive client relationships;  coaches and leads associate attorneys;  oversees hiring, onboarding and performance;  leverages technology to promote efficient and cost-conscious litigation;  identifies improvement gaps and implements corrective strategies; and stays updated on trends and new developments in the legal industry. Her practice focuses on construction site accident litigation, premises liability litigation, property damage litigation, commercial automobile litigation and appellate practice.

In business for over 60 years, MMG now has an adaptable business model that, while maintaining its supportive familial environment, has helped the firm thrive through the most uncertain of times. Walter McMahon and Lou Martine founded the firm in 1958, and after McMahon’s untimely passing, the firm continued to build its reputation for success with integrity under the leadership of Lou Martine and William Gallagher. Today, the firm is led by their sons Anthony D. Martine and Timothy D. Gallagher, and by Aoife Reid. MMG is a solution-oriented civil litigation law firm, committed to providing exceptional legal advice and representation to national and multi-national insurance companies as well as self-insured businesses and professionals with litigation matters in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. MMG defends clients in a wide range of lawsuits including construction accident liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, toxic torts, products liability, commercial automobile liability, and homeowner and personal automobile liability. “Our diverse talent and commitment to our clients are the keys to our success. We leverage technology to help improve our work, but we do not lose the human touch that allows people, both clients and employees, to feel valued. Leadership, communication and integrity are key traits of the MMG management team which we believe are essential to ensuring longevity,” says Aoife.

Aoife believes in inspiring and empowering women in the same way she leads—by example. She is committed to investing in women who are interested in pursuing legal careers and provides career coaching and mentorship both to law students and associate attorneys inside and outside of the firm. Aoife believes in the importance of female leadership, and she is dedicated to investing in the future of up-and-coming female legal professionals. She encourages women to understand that it takes dedication, resilience and solid results to create opportunities to advance and further excel. She stresses the importance of developing the tools necessary to navigate the implicit biases that women ultimately face in litigation. Of note, Aoife has implemented work policies creating practical solutions that benefit women and provide opportunities for all women to excel, especially those with families who often face hurdles in achieving their goals. Further, Aoife maintains an open-door policy to facilitate the mentoring of coworkers seeking advice or direction under their terms. Aoife also made a persistent recommendation to have a female colleague promoted to partner after her own promotion, making this person the second-ever female partner at MMG. She has coached another female colleague who began working as an administrative assistant to successfully grow into an operations management role. Aoife has also retained a female supervisor to lead the finance department allowing for more female leadership in a male-dominated industry.

Aoife’s advice to young females in the industry is simple: seek mentors; network early, actively, and often; take risks; and say yes to opportunities. Most importantly, Aoife believes that you need a growth mindset to succeed. She recommends “Mindset” written by Carol S. Dweck PhD as an invaluable resource for career development. “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown is another one of Aoife’s favorites.

Aoife’s decisiveness and diligence are crucial traits in an ever-changing legal industry. Her tireless work ethic allows her to meet every challenge from overall client expectations to the constant shifting and evolving of individual cases. “The only way to stay on top of the constant change is to take a very active role in the process”, says Aoife. She wants to make sure that her clients get the best result possible, and she will do everything she can to give them the legal and emotional support they need. Aoife understands that every case is different—there are no two clients with the same needs and no two cases with the same facts, the only constant is Aoife’s dedication to achieving the best possible outcome.

When it comes to the operation of MMG, Aoife believes that innovation, integrity and adapting to changes in business and law are imperative for the continued success of the firm. Aoife is constantly looking for ways to grow the firm’s capabilities, whether it’s MMG’s business practices or its technology resources. She focuses on client development and engagement by ensuring that MMG produces quality work and personalized client service. She determines and measures metrics to improve productivity, efficiency, and revenue. She leverages technology in her effort to systematize and improve the firm’s processes. Recently, she introduced the firm to a suite of artificial intelligence tools, which will dramatically enhance a portion of the firm’s work. Most impressively, despite a pandemic that closed courthouses for over a year and forced layoffs, MMG’s work force has grown by 50% in the four years since Aoife became Managing Partner. “I believe that you are only as good as the people who work with you,” says Aoife, and she has made it a point in her career to invest her time and energy into coaching employees to learn, grow and succeed. It was this mind-set that led her to introduce SMART goals to the firm’s employees, which resulted in strong employee focus, development, and growth. She is currently in the process of building out an internal leadership training program to cultivate new leaders within the firm. “I am very proud of MMG’s evolution and really believe that without engaged employees the firm would not achieve the success that it has. Every single employee’s contribution to the organization is critical”, says Aoife.

Looking to the future, MMG is excited to partner with various law schools to launch a new externship program initiated by one of Aoife’s mentees at the firm. The program will serve to provide real world experience as MMG shares its time and talent with students, to pay it forward, and to help shape and develop young professionals in the legal community.