Kenneth Piercey (Ken) was born in Park Ridge, Illinois and graduated from Barrington High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University in 2002, completed MBA coursework at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and his Juris Doctor degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2010 which offered him a scholarship. Ken currently works in Barrington, Illinois, but is also licensed and frequently practices law in Wisconsin.
Kenneth Piercey advises wealthy clients, including multiple lottery winners, as well as low-income and impoverished clients in all areas of trust law, estate and probate law, elder law, asset protection, income tax reduction strategies, and business succession. Ken has served as an expert witness on trust interpretation in a criminal trial by jury, has been published by the Illinois State Bar Association and the National Business InstituteTM, and has lectured to attorneys and CPAs on the taxation of trusts and tax reduction strategies. Ken has been quoted by the Daily Herald, featured on AM560, and recognized by The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The American Lawyer, and The National Law Journal. What Ken enjoys most about his legal career is educating his clients so they can make informed decisions based on their unique goals.
https://pierceyassociates.com/
Why did you decide to create your own business?
I wanted to work with my father and also be his partner. We don’t always see things the same, but there is tremendous value in listening to those with different perspectives.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
I feel as though I can make a very big difference for my clients. That is what I love the most about working in the legal field. I can add a lot of value to the situation. I can usually save my clients multiple times what I charge them.
What keeps you motivated?
I am motivated by the desire to live a generous life. When I look back at all my decisions, the choices to give generously of my time and resources are the best decisions I have ever made. In the legal field, dealing with inheritance issues, I frequently witness the negative effects of greed, and giving is an excellent remedy to the ugliness of greed.
How do you motivate others?
I lead by example to try to motivate others. When people see someone who is motivated, they are more likely to be followed. When you see someone working really hard, it gets you motivated to work hard as well. I can follow that person because I see he or she works hard and is not selfish.
How has your company grown from its early days to now?
We have doubled in size in the about the last five years. We started 10 years ago, so that is a good amount of growth, and we are very pleased to have been blessed with this much growth.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I am inspired by my loving family and the wise advice I can receive from others, both in my family and also my colleagues in the legal profession.
Who has been a role model to you and why?
My father has been a role model to me. I chose to work with him because it is very easy to look up to him. He was a great dad and has a lot of integrity. He is a really good lawyer with an impressive list of accomplishments. I really look up to him, and he has lived a generous life as well.
He also really cares about his clients. He has taught me so much. He taught me that one of the keys to being a great lawyer is to care about others. Also, it is almost impossible to give good legal advice if you do not have empathy and care about. I see this fact play out every day.
How do you maintain a solid work life balance?
I have learned to create some margin in my calendar. I have the tendency to want to please everyone all the time and commit to too much. Being aware of this helps me to manage my time better and be available for my family, which is one of my top priorities.
What traits do you possess that makes a successful leader?
I continue to really listen and stay humble.
What suggestions do you have for someone starting in your industry?
Do not practice law to serve yourself; rather, practice law to serve others and treat your clients the way you would want to be treated. Following this advice alone, in my estimation, will make you a top 10% attorney.
What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome?
Graduating from law school and then passing the Bar exam.
What is one piece of advice that you have never forgotten?
Wisdom is worth more than all of the wealth in the world.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Graduating from law school and then passing the Bar exam.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to others?
Read and follow the wise advice in Proverbs.
Outside of work, what defines you as a person?
The idea that I can serve a loving God who knows better than I think I do, my amazing wife and two daughters, and my amazing parents Rodney and Lynda Piercey.
What trends in your industry excite you?
Using technology to better serve our clients.
Explain the proudest day of your professional life.
My proudest day was when I found out I passed the bar exam on the first attempt.