Helena M. Nevicosi, Attorney
Helena M. Nevicosi
Helena received the Gressman Polit oral advocacy award in her first year at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law. But as far as she's concerned, it pales in comparison to her second prize at the third grade science fair for her thorough exploration of mold (for which several of her mother's Tupperware containers were sacrificed – may they rest in peace.)
Helena has certainly been in the trenches when it comes to negotiations. Sure, she has extensive experience with mediation and trial work, but she really developed her deal-making skills while putting herself through The College of New Jersey and law school as a nanny. What more sophisticated training in negotiation could you need after fielding temper tantrums (the children's, not Helena's)?
After that, Helena can walk into most any situation without breaking a sweat. This includes helping prisoners with legal issues for a nonprofit group and working in the Guardian Ad Litem program in Orange and Chatham counties.
While still in law school, Helena conducted a full-length trial in Durham County juvenile court and participated in the appeals process. (Don't think for a minute that the need for an appeal had anything to do with her work, though!)
The compassionate nature that Helena has honed as a nanny and volunteer in the prisons is a great asset to family law practice. She sees divorce as not just the division of property, but an unraveling of a life that two people worked hard to build. She's well-aware of how traumatic this can be and considers it her responsibility to assist her clients with the range of emotions they experience. And if any of her clients ever need to change the subject for a moment of relief, they can always ask her to give them the skinny on mold.
