Twenty-five years of experience … backed by three generations of law

Mandy had law “running through her veins” from the start. Her grandfather, Theodore R. Gardner (Ted), began practicing law in 1931. His daughter, Audrey Gardner Racines, joined him in practice in 1968, and soon thereafter her brother, James Knoll Gardner, joined the practice. At the time, Gardner, Gardner & Racines was the only father-son-daughter firm in the country.

After James became a judge, Ted and Audrey continued practicing together and were eventually joined in the early 80’s by Edward P. Sheetz. The firm then became Gardner, Racines, and Sheetz — an appellation that continues to this day. Audrey’s daughter, Amanda Racines Lovett (Mandy), joined the firm in 2007.

Mandy came into the practice just as her mother was phasing into retirement, thus inheriting not only Audrey’s but also Ted’s original clients (or their offspring). She brought to the table diverse experience in several areas of law in which she had practiced prior to joining the firm. This gave her a rich background upon which to base her current estate practice.

Mandy attended college at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She then moved her academic pursuits across town to Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she served as Managing Editor of the Law Review and ultimately graduated with magna cum laude honors. In the year following law school, she clerked for Chief Judge David Alan Ezra in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Although finding it difficult to leave the Hawaiian islands, Mandy then returned to Philadelphia to practice commercial litigation for three years with the firm Drinker, Biddle & Reath (now Faegre Drinker). Upon marriage to her high school sweetheart Brian, she returned to the Lehigh Valley, working under District Attorney James Martin as a Deputy District Attorney, prosecuting cases in Lehigh County for three years.

Eventually Mandy left the courtroom behind to focus on the part of the law she loved the best — connecting with clients. She enjoys sitting across the table learning about her clients, their families, and their aspirations. She enjoys helping safeguard assets for which her clients have worked so hard. She also enjoys getting to know heirs during estate probates, and working alongside Executors to ensure an estate plan is carried through in the manner intended by its Testators.

Mandy works in concert with the other remaining partner in the firm, Ed Sheetz, but largely maintains a separate practice space and communications. When you reach out to her by phone or email, Mandy is the one that responds. She enjoys providing personalized and first-hand service to her clients, some of which have been with her family for decades.