OUR TEAM
ANNA E. BYRNE, Esq.
FOUNDING ATTORNEY
Anna is an estate planning attorney with over 25 years of experience. Her decision to establish Eckert Byrne LLC stemmed from a desire to create estate plans that encompass more than just the transfer of tangible assets. Her life experience as a young widow revealed a need to pass on wisdom and values to help those left behind. She has committed the last thirteen years to creating a team that shares this vision.
Anna’s goal is to help her clients express their values and pass those on along with their assets with the lowest expense and tax impact possible. In 2021, Anna was honored to be selected as a top 20 “Go To” Trust & Estates attorney by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and a Top Woman of Law in Massachusetts in 2014. She’s been listed as a top 50 Woman Attorney in New England by SuperLawyers™ Thomson Reuters and a SuperLawyer from 2015 to present. In 2021, Boston Magazine listed her as a Top Attorney in Trust & Estates.
Anna is also the author of two books. In 2016, she published the book, A Widow’s Guide, to help women who have lost a spouse through their first year. In 2021, Anna published her second book, The Inheritor’s Guide: A Legal, Financial, and Emotional Guide for Adult Children Managing Their Parent’s Legacy. The Inheritor’s Guide is a manual for anyone who has lost a parent and wants to gain an understanding of the step-by-step process of transitioning wealth from one generation to the next.
Anna takes on a limited number of clients per year and focuses on working with client families that are in the process of multigenerational wealth transition by helping them navigate the legal and financial issues that arise.
Fun Fact: Anna loves to spend her down time in nature walking and hiking whenever, and wherever, she can. Now that she’s an empty nester, she looks forward to traveling and visiting all the places on her bucket list!
NICOLE SIMON, Esq.
ATTORNEY
Nicole’s focus is primarily on estate planning and continuing maintenance on estate plans. Nicole provides a compassionate approach while guiding clients through the legal obstacles that arise after the initial estate planning phase through the many changes that life brings. Nicole prides herself on developing a strong relationship with her clients to make sure she fully understands their goals and provides guidance that will help them reach those goals through a carefully crafted plan. Her goal is to educate each client to understand how their plan is structured as well as the relevant laws and taxes so they have the tools to make an informed decision about who will be involved in their plan and how their family, friends, and loved ones will benefit.
Nicole received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and her B.S. from Northeastern University.
Fun Fact: Nicole loves to travel and has travelled to many different countries. She lived down under in Australia for 6 months where she discovered her favorite vacation spot – Aitutaki, Cook Islands.
AUDREY GARDNER
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Audrey serves as the Operations Manager at Eckert Byrne LLC. She can be reached to coordinate meetings and is available to answer any questions and calls related to your initial consultation or design meeting. It is her utmost priority to make sure that clients are well taken care of throughout their entire estate planning process.
Fun Fact: Audrey loves to travel especially if she can go scuba diving – she’s PADI open-water certified!
GIANNA MCNALLY
PARALEGAL
Gianna joined us last summer as she was earning her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, which she completed in 2024. She is currently awaiting her Massachusetts Bar results. Prior to attending law school, Gianna studied Biology at UMass Amherst. In her free time, Gianna likes to research her family’s genealogy; she has built a family tree with over 1200 people on it.
“Anna is such a caring and compassionate person. I did not feel intimidated or nervous. She made me feel so comfortable. It was a pleasure doing business with her. The firm is wonderful and her team is great!”
“I felt valued as an individual. I was given the support I needed to help enable me to make very important decisions for myself and my family. My experience with Kristin was a positive one. She was thorough, patient & very knowledgable. ”