Heather M. Palmore, Esq.
Attorney. Advocate. Visionary-Strategist.
Heather M. Palmore, Esq. is a nationally recognized attorney, advocate, and visionary strategist—known to colleagues and clients alike as "The Closer." With a 30 year career defined by excellence, leadership, and groundbreaking success, she stands among the most influential legal minds in the country.
Born in Rockville Centre and raised in Amityville/Malverne/Lakeview rooted, in Amityville, New York, Heather proudly proclaims being Born, Raised & Rooted in Long Island. A graduate of Cornell University, she earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Policy Analysis and Consumer Economics. At Cornell, she was a member of the Women's Basketball Team, initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and twice received the prestigious Elsie Van Buren Award for excellence in speech and advocacy—an early indication of her exceptional advocacy skills. During her undergraduate studies, Heather became a Ford-Mellon Scholar at Yale University, where she studied under Dr. Jessie Geller on the reliability of child eyewitness testimony in legal proceedings. It was from these combined experiences that she decided to pursue a career in law.
Heather earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, where she made history as the first African-American Teaching Assistant to instruct first-year law students in legal writing and oral advocacy. She also served as Vice Chairman of the nationally recognized, award-winning Moot Court Program, helping lead the program to regional and national championships. After graduation, she joined the Queens County District Attorney's Office, where she quickly distinguished herself as a top trial attorney—leading the office in convictions and appearing on Dateline NBC to discuss race and criminal justice.
Heather's trajectory continued at Conway, Farrell, Curtin & Kelly, P.C., where she became the first African-American female Partner in the firm's 60-year history. Known for her ability to win high-exposure, high-stakes cases, she earned the nickname "The Closer." Over her career, Heather has tried more than 150 major cases to successful verdicts involving wrongful death, construction, and complex liability law.
Her leadership extended to corporate law, where she served as a Senior Trial Attorney at Nationwide Insurance and CNA Financial, and she chaired the African American Employee Network, promoting national diversity and inclusion initiatives. Later, as a Partner at Quintarios, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, the nation's most significant minority-and women-owned law firm, Heather continued her work as a strategic litigator, mentor, and leader.
Many of Palmores' clients are high-profile and confidential, often facing powerful corporate defendants. She is trusted for her strategic discretion and unmatched courtroom command, having recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients across a range of industries and practice areas.
In 2021, she launched The Palmore Law Group, P.C., a full-service firm specializing in personal injury, civil rights, employment, and criminal law. Her strategic brilliance led to a landmark, multi-million-dollar deal with CBS for the HBCU All-Star Game, and she represented Jennifer McLeggan in a pivotal civil rights case that drew national attention. Heather also serves as General Counsel and a founding Board Member of Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS), an organization dedicated to promoting equity for Black athletes and coaches nationwide.
Deeply connected to her community, Heather has served in leadership roles with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, Molloy College, and Wake Forest University's Parents' Council. Her dedication to justice, integrity, and empowerment continues to inspire both her clients and peers nationwide.
Awards & Recognitions
Long Island Business News-Top 50 Women in Business
CORE Magazine 100 Most Influential Blacks in America
Heather Palmore, Esq. Named Corporate Honoree by Wyandanch Plaza Association
Network Journal 40 Under 40
Martin Luther King Drum Major Award
NAACP Award for Outstanding Community Service
Alpha Kappa Alpha, North Atlantic Region Outstanding Community Service
National Panhellenic Council Soror of the Year
Black Women of Long Island Top 10 Women on Long Island
Alumni of the Year Syracuse Law School (2024)
Affiliations & Positions
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Theta Iota Omega Chapter, Parliamentarian
Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Suffolk County Chapter, President & Life Member
Suffolk County Board of Ethics, Board Chairman
Molloy University, Board of Trustees
Roosevelt Public Schools, Board of Education Trustee
CNA Insurance, Co-Chair African American Employee Network Group
Advancement of Blacks in Sports, Founding Board Member, General Counsel
NAACP, Lakeview Branch
New York State School Boards Association
New York State Bar Association
Amistad Bar Association
Wake Forest University Parents Council