Danielle Ridgely

Partner,
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Years in current role: 2

What is your biggest professional goal for the rest of this year?

Providing clients with the highest quality tax legal services continues to be my number one priority.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenges for the legal industry locally in the near future?

Generative AI, hands down. Generative AI is a powerful tool, but it is not substitute for professional legal advice for many reasons, including but not limited to generative AI’s current susceptibility to bias and hallucination. I was also surprised to find while testing some of the latest generative AI tools for lawyers that these tools fail to register basic legal concepts such as precedence when processing and analyzing case law. Accordingly, I believe the legal industry will have to navigate the challenge of leveraging this technology effectively and responsibly while helping clients understand that generative AI still falls far short of providing professional legal advice.

What are your favorite aspects of the types of law you practice?

As a tax lawyer, I love helping clients navigate complex tax challenges to achieve their goals. Whether it’s advising with respect to a Section 1031 like-kind exchange or identifying the most tax-efficient M&A transaction structure, I look forward to the opportunity to provide tailored solutions that optimize their financial outcomes. Seeing our strategic advice and advocacy translate into significant client benefits is incredibly rewarding.

This profile is part of our Tax Law Power List for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. View the full list at nydailyrecord.com.