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Kate McChrystal, Katherine De Lorenzo and Lindsey Burghardt have been partners since 2015, and have known each other since attending Marquette University Law School. Their friendship is at the heart of the family law firm they founded together, Gagne McChrystal De Lorenzo & Burghardt.
McChrystal, De Lorenzo and Burghardt’s collaboration leads to strong, attentive and caring support for their clients. They deal with divorce, child-related cases, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and other matters affecting family structure.
“Our firm is like a family. Working with people you love makes such a difference”
– Lindsey Burghardt
They prepare clients for all possible outcomes, advocate on their behalf and help plan for what comes next. “We feel it’s our duty to have those difficult conversations with our clients,” says De Lorenzo.
Unlike many other areas of law, there’s an emotional aspect to family law that adds another layer to the relationship between lawyer and client. McChrystal, De Lorenzo and Burghardt are with their clients through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Clients not only lean on their law acumen and experience, but their guidance as well. “Our goal is that clients come out of the process more settled, sturdy and hopeful,” says McChrystal. “We want them to move forward in a positive way.”
“I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve said to a client, ‘Trust me, you are going to be OK,’” says Burghardt. “I’ve had those same clients tell me, ‘When you told me that, I thought there was no way I was ever going to be OK. And you know what? I’m good now. I feel good.’”
Q&A
What do you think are each other’s biggest strengths?
KM: I think Lindsey’s biggest strength is that she is unflappable. She can be dealing with a super stressful case and juggling a million things in her personal life, but she remains calm. She always has a moment to check in. She’s brave and ready to take on anything.
My favorite quality about Kate De Lorenzo is that she is the most empathetic person I know. When I’m having a terrible day or struggling with a case, she provides such a thoughtful and kind perspective. She makes the best of every situation. Having someone who’s incredibly empathetic and someone who’s unflappable is such a good balance for our office.
KDL: There are so many things to say about these two, but what always blows my mind is that most attorneys start firms without knowing much about the business side of things. But Kate McChrystal is an incredible, well-respected attorney who is also so good at the business side of our world. I respect her opinion so much. She always has the most thoughtful, smart business perspective that I truly admire.
As for Lindsey, she has been a backbone of this firm. She’s someone who always gives me thoughtful advice on personal and professional matters, and she tells me the unvarnished truth, even if it’s something I don’t want to hear. I truly appreciate that about her, and it has impacted my life in many important ways. I am so grateful for both of them.
LB: We really love each other and genuinely care about each other. We vacation together, plan retreats, do firm outings and even spend holidays together. Marty, our former partner, still comes around consistently. Our firm is like a family, and working with people you love makes such a difference.
We have an open-door policy – literally and figuratively – and we are always bouncing ideas off each other. We have great communication and collaboration, unlike anything I’ve experienced before. We don’t always agree, but we have good conversations. Our partnership is well-rounded, and we all work really hard.
