Name: Therese Adams

Age: 64

Family: Married to Mark Adams. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

City of residence: Therese and Mark Adams have lived in Lincoln since 1996.

Occupation: Therese Adams is the founding partner of Adams and Hayes Law, which is dedicated to estate planning and estate administration.

Why is your staff so important to you?

My staff is important because I can’t do the work I do without them. They allow me to focus on solving our clients’ problems. Their work and caring is what has made this firm so successful.

What did you do before opening Adams and Hayes Law?

Prior to opening (the law firm) in 2000, I worked in corporate. I was a corporate vice president and chief underwriter (from) 1974 to 2000 for three different companies. I was in the re-insurance business and re-insurance are the insurance companies for insurance companies. It was not unusual for me in the work I did to sign re-insurance contracts for hundreds of millions of dollars. I worked in San Francisco, Chicago, and 10 years in Manhattan.

Why did you leave the corporate world?

My last corporate job was in New York City and it’s never any one thing that causes a decision (to leave). One of them was the fact that the company I worked for was closing down offices. Plus, I had always worked as a contract negotiator, and many of the people I dealt with were attorneys and I wasn’t one. The law had always interested me so I took the Law School Admission Test at Princeton University. I got a decent score, and in 1994, I quit and came back to California. I was born and raised in San Francisco. When we came to California, we lived in Citrus Heights for two years and moved to Lincoln in 1996.

Why did you choose to move to Lincoln?

We had come to Sacramento to be available to aging grandparents and I wanted to go to Lincoln Law School in Sacramento. Not knowing where we were going to end up, we stayed in a townhouse and decided to start looking for a house. We looked all over and wanted a small town because we had lived in a small town in New Jersey. We started looking in early 1996. We fell in love with Lincoln.

What made you fall in love with Lincoln?

We came to Lincoln when there was only one stoplight and the Willow was still around. The Fifth Avenue Soda Fountain was still around; there were three Mexican restaurants and one coffee shop. We fell in love with Lincoln because of its diversity. You had young and old, rich and poor and ethnic diversity. It was just a wonderful town, it had Feats of Clay and so there was a richness of culture here in Lincoln that we felt and wanted to be a part of. This was long before the development occurred and it was a small town.

Why did you choose to open the law firm in Lincoln?

I knew that when I graduated from law school, I wanted to open my practice in a small town so it was wonderful. I could live here, work here and be a part of the community.

Do you think Lincoln has changed since it developed so rapidly?

It has changed but I think it has changed for the better. I think there is a wealth of talent available as a result of Sun City. I think the City Council should be recognized, that they tapped into that talent for the Citizen’s Task Force. That shows acknowledgement and that no one person can solve the problems of a community, that it takes a team.

What impact do you think the recession has made on Lincoln?

I think that this recession had taught a lot of us about how unpredictable our social and economic conditions can be. One of the things we’ve all learned is that what goes up must come down. While we’re proud that Lincoln was the fastest growing city, it brings unintended consequences.

How has your company survived the recession?

During this recession, Adams and Hayes Law has added staff. I have not laid-off anybody off and reduced salaries. The reason for this is that before I can be a good attorney, I have to be a good businesswoman. I watch my expenses and bottom line closely, and we’re able to make adjustments as client needs change and the economy changes.

Is there anything new at your law firm?

In 2008, we started Adams and Associates Professional Private Fiduciaries. A private fiduciary is a person that will step in and assist others who are unable to care for themselves. For example, a senior with dementia who may not have children and needs someone to pay their bills, manage investments and make sure they have proper in home care.

What does your firm cover?

The firm is dedicated to estate planning and estate administration law.

What do you like about being an attorney?

There’s a lot! I love being my own boss. After being in corporate for 26 years, this is pretty cool. I love helping people and I love having the law as a tool to help people.

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