Click a speaker name or headshot to read their bio. To learn more about the speaker's session, view the CLE Program page. To view the entire National Family Law Conference agenda, view the Schedule page.
Partner, Belleau Family Law Group (Arizona)
Secrets of the Bar: Hot Tips
Laura Belleau is the owner of Belleau Family Law Group, where she limits her practice to family law cases, concentrating on those involving complex issues. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the current National President. She is a past President of Arizona's Chapter of AAML and has previously served as the both the National and Arizona Chapter Treasurer. She is a Diplomate in the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, a select group of the top 100 family trial lawyers from across the country known for excellence in family law trial practice. She is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State of Arizona's Board of Legal Specialization. She serves on the State Bar's Family Law Executive Council, served on both the Supreme Court's Child Support Guidelines Review Committee and currently serves of the Supreme Court’s Spousal Maintenance Guidelines Committee and Parenting Time Guide Workgroup. She is a current member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), and a past-president of Arizona's chapter. She is a Judge Pro Tempore for the Arizona Superior Court, Pima County, volunteers as child’s counsel/court appointed advisor in complex parenting time cases and frequently speaks and writes on family law topics.
Senior Partner, Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. (Florida)
Cross Border Confessions: Navigating International Family Law
Mr. Cestero is the senior partner at Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is the Vice-President of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and a past President of its USA Chapter. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and has held leadership roles in both the AAML Florida Chapter and the AAML Foundation. Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar, Mr. Cestero is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2008-2024) and Florida Super Lawyers, where he was named one of the Miami area’s top 100 lawyers. He is a frequent author and lecturer on family law and is admitted to practice in Florida state courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. He holds a JD from Florida State University College of Law.
Partner, Nichols Zauzig (Virginia)
Roundtable Discussion: The Move From 2nd Chair to 1st Chair
Cassandra Chin is a Partner with Nichols Zauzig and joined the firm’s family law group in 2001. Ms. Chin has been involved with local and state bar associations since early on in her career. She served on the Board of Governors for the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section for 7 years, becoming Chair in 2012. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), an organization of dedicated and professional family lawyers who are recognized and respected by the bench and bar as the leaders in the field. She is the Immediate Past President of the AAML Virginia Chapter and serves as a Vice President on the AAML National Executive Committee. She has also served AAML as Membership Chair (2018-2021), Secretary (2021-2022), and the elected Virginia representative to the National Board of Governors (2014-2020). Since 2019, she has been a Diplomate to the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, which is comprised of 100 of the top family law trial lawyers from across the United States and is by invitation only. She was co-chair of the Prince William County Bar Association Family Law Committee from 2007-2023. Ms. Chin has been recognized by Virginia and Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers since 2016, and she has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2020. In 2023, she was awarded the Family Law Service Award by the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section Board of Governors. In 2024, Virginia Lawyers Weekly named Ms. Chin as a “Go To Lawyer" for Family Law.
Psychological Affiliates (Florida)
Shaping Futures in the Shadows: Insights into Developmental Parenting Plans
Dr. Deborah Day is a Licensed Psychologist, LMHC, and Certified Family Mediator. She is in private practice at Psychological Affiliates, with offices in Winter Park and Palm Beach, Florida. Her practice specialties are social investigations (child custody evaluations), psychological assessments, work product reviews, and attorney consulting. She has testified on numerous family law matters and provides professional continuing education to psychologists, lawyers, and the judiciary. She has numerous professional publications. She has received many awards for her commitment to her profession and to the families she assists.
Strategic Partner, Adamy Valuation (Michigan)
Tax, Tactics & Tidbits
Michelle Gallagher is a nationally-recognized business valuation, forensic accounting, and tax expert. Her extensive experience includes serving as a trusted advisor, consultant, expert witness, mediator, and court-appointed expert. Michelle has decades of experience valuing closely-held business interests, performing forensic investigations, and working with clients on complex tax matters, succession planning, estate planning, determination of damages, divorce settlement structuring, litigation consulting, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, condemnation, and other business advisory services. Michelle speaks nationally on various business valuation, forensic accounting, tax, estate planning, and litigation related topics to professional organizations and groups including AICPA, ASA, ABA, AAML and Business Valuation Resources (BVR). She has testified in numerous State and Federal Courts and testified in 2016 on behalf of the AICPA at the Department of Treasury hearing in Washington D.C. related to proposed regulations under Internal Revenue Code 2704. Michelle also presented to members of the Ways and Means Committee in Washington D.C. in 2024 regarding various tax policy matters. Michelle has authored many articles and is a contributing author to publications including Family Law Services Handbook: The Role of the Financial Expert, Financial Valuation and Models, and the Michigan Family Law Benchbook. Michelle was awarded the AICPA Forensic & Litigation Services Volunteer of the Year Award in 2008, the MICPA Women to Watch Award in 2012, and the AICPA Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year Award in 2017.
Partner, Leinoff & Lemos, P.A. (Florida)
Valuation Confidential: Unlocking Business Worth in Family Law
Natalie Lemos is Board Certified in Marital and Family law in the State of Florida since 2002. She has been a Fellow in the AAML and IAFL for over 20 years. Natalie is Past President of the AAML Florida Chapter. Natalie has been named Lawyer of the Year in Florida for Family Law in 2024. She has been named a Super lawyer and Best Lawyer for many years. Natalie has been ranked Tier 1 for Chamber High Net Worth in Family Law.
Managing Partner, Mann Tucker Muir Gordon LLC (Kansas)
Secrets of the Bar: Hot Tips
Scott M. Mann is the managing member of MannTuckerMuirGordon, LLC, The Family Law Firm, in Leawood, Kansas. His practice is focused exclusively on and dedicated to Family Law issues. Scott’s practice includes mediation, collaborative divorce, arbitration, and traditional litigation of Family Law cases. Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Law. He is licensed in both Missouri and Kansas. He is a National Second Vice President and Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Scott is a Board of Managers Member of the USA Chapter of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Scott is a Past-President of the Family Law Section of the Kansas Bar Association and a Past-President of the Kansas Chapter of the AAML. He has authored chapters and articles and served as editor for state and national Family Law publications. He previously served as the Editor of the Practitioner’s Guide to Kansas Family Law (Kansas Bar Assn., 2d. Ed. 2016). He is a Founding Member of the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Greater Kansas City. He has served as a Trustee of the Johnson County Bar Foundation and is active in the Family Law Sections of the Kansas and Johnson County (KS) Bar Associations, and as a Master of the Bar in the Johnson County Family Law Inn of American Courts. He has served as a member of the Johnson County Bar Association Family Law Guidelines Review Committee since 2009, including as chair for the 2022 review efforts.
Partner, Verner Brumley Mueller Parker, PC (Texas)
Bring Lawyers, Guns and Money: Negotiating Prenuptial Agreements
Rob is a partner at Verner Brumley Mueller Parker, P.C. He is board-certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and International Academy of Family Lawyers. Rob’s practice is devoted primarily to complex and high-conflict divorce matters, high-asset property division, custody cases, and marital property agreements. He is also court appointed as an amicus attorney. Rob also works in the area of special education law. Rob serves on the Advisory Board for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the Texas Family Law Foundation Board, and the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists. Rob is the chair of the Texas Family Law Foundation Legislative Committee and works on ensuring that every bill related to family law filed with the Texas legislature is reviewed from a family law perspective. Rob regularly speaks to family law attorneys around the state and the country. Rob hopes to help and improve the lives of those in need during such a difficult time. As both an adopted child and a member of a blended family, Rob can provide a unique perspective on the practice of family law. Rob received his bachelor’s degree cum laude and master’s degree cum laude from Baylor University and graduated cum laude from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University.
Partner, Kinser & Bates LLP (Texas)
Mastering the Art of Evidence
Lauren E. Melhart is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Melhart has extensive experience within the family law field, including several years as a Child Protective Services prosecutor. She has written articles for the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers on a variety family law issues and given speeches to a number of family law related organizations across the country. Ms. Melhart a faculty member with the American Bar Association’s Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer’s Institute for Family Law Associates, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: Forensic & Valuations Services Conference.
Partner, Green Kaminer Min & Rockmore, LLP (New York)
Cross-Border Confessions: Navigating International Family Law
Richard is a partner at Green Kaminer Min & Rockmore, LLP in New York City. His practice focuses exclusively on international family law, child abduction, high conflict custody, and cross-border custody issues. He has extensive experience in 1980 Hague Abduction Convention cases having been involved in approximately 100 cross border child abduction or custody cases and having acted as lead trial counsel in over 40 Hague abduction cases across more than a dozen states. Richard has resolved several Hague cases through mediation and has also argued several appeals. One of his successful appeals (Marks v. Hochhauser) was the subject of an article in the St. John's International Law Review (Vol. 31, No. 2, Fall 2018). In 2022, Richard argued the Hague case of Golan v. Saada before the U.S. Supreme Court. Richard has been asked by the U.S. State Department to host foreign delegations from Lebanon and Costa Rica to discuss implementation of the Hague Abduction Convention. In 2023, Richard was invited to be an Observer at the 8th Meeting of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the 1980 Child Abduction Convention and the 1996 Child Protection Convention in the Hague. He has taught numerous legal education courses and authored articles on the topic of child abduction, including recently in the Journal of the AAML, titled “"To Return or Not to Return - That is the Question: Tensions Between Non-Refoulement and Orders of Return Under the Hague Abduction Convention." He holds leadership positions in the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
Managing Partner, Mueller Family Group (Texas)
Roundtable Discussion: Your Brand
Setting the Stage: Strategies for Managing Clients
Jim Mueller is the owner and managing partner of Mueller Family Law Group, a Texas based law firm focused on complex and high-net worth family law matters. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, a select group of 100 of the top family trial lawyers from across the United States. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is an AAML Certified Mediator and Arbitrator. He currently serves on the AAML National Executive Committee as 2nd Vice President, as well as serving the Academy as Sponsorship Chair. Locally, Jim is the President of the TX AAML Chapter, the Chair-Elect of the Texas Family Law Council, the Vice President of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, and a member the Family Law Advisory Commission. Jim practices throughout the state of Texas and regularly speaks throughout the country on various family law topics. He is also the author of the book, “Divorce In Texas: The Legal Process, Your Rights, and What to Expect." Jim graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Rhodes College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and received his Juris Doctor cum laude from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.
Managing Partner, Naimi Family Group (Nevada)
Secrets of the Bar: Hot Tips
Roundtable Discussion: Your Brand
Jason Naimi is the managing partner of Naimi Mullins Law Group, a boutique Nevada family law firm with both statewide and international clients. A valued and energetic litigator, Jason is also a senior faculty member of the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston, Texas. Jason holds the “hat trick" (he’s a hockey fan) of specializations qualifying as a Nevada Board Certified Family Law Specialist, and a fellow to both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. In addition, he is a Diplomate in the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, a select group of the top 100 family trial lawyers from across the country known for excellence in family law trial practice. Jason is a member of the Executive Council for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. In his spare time, Jason loves to spend time with his wife and daughters, cheering on his favorite sports teams and playing golf badly with friends and family.
Partner, Goranson Bain Ausley PLLC (Texas)
Secrets of the Bar: Hot Tips
Setting the Stage: Strategies for Managing Client
Lindsey Obenhaus is a distinguished family law attorney based in Dallas, Texas, known for her adept handling of complex divorce cases and high-conflict family law matters. With a career dedicated to guiding clients through emotionally and financially challenging transitions, Lindsey excels in cases involving intricate asset division, mental health issues, substance abuse, and contested child custody. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and the SMU Dedman School of Law, Lindsey began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County, where she served in the family violence and protective order units. She is licensed to practice in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States. Lindsey has been named as one of D Magazine’s Best Lawyers and Top Lawyers Under 40 for many consecutive years. Lindsey is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She was selected to be a member of the 2020 Dallas Bar Association Women’s Empowered to Lead Program and the 2021 State Bar of Texas LeadershipSBOT Program. Lindsey was also selected to the 2023 D CEO Emerging Women’s Leadership Network, a group of professional up-and-coming female leaders in the Dallas community. Outside of practicing law, Lindsey is (slowly) trying to run all of the Abbott World Major Marathons while also keeping up with her husband and two sons.
Lead Managing Director, CBIZ FCG (Florida)
Valuation Confidential: Unlocking Business Worth in Family Law
Anthony Phillips is the Lead Managing Director of Forensic Consulting Group of CBIZ, Inc. Anthony has over 25 years of experience playing a lead role in numerous litigation and collaborative engagements, including matters related to dissolution of marriage, business damages, dissenting shareholder disputes, wrongful termination, fraud investigation, bankruptcy, and health care litigation. Anthony received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida and a Masters of Science in Forensic Accounting from Florida Atlantic University. Anthony provides expert witness testimony, litigation support and alternative dispute resolution, as well as forensic accounting and investigation. He is qualified as an expert in litigation support, financial analysis, and business valuation in numerous counties across the State of Florida and has been qualified as an expert in federal court in the state of Florida. Anthony is frequent speaker for family law organizations including the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, The Florida Bar, and The Hillsborough County Bar Association. Anthony is also a guest instructor for the Family Law Trial Institute where he has taught direct and cross examination of business valuation experts for the past 7 years.
Founder/Managing Attorney, Ross Family Law, P.C. (California)
Tech & Tactics: Modernizing Your Firm Behind Your Doors
Renée Ross, Esq. is a Fellow in both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is certified by the State Bar of California as a Family Law Specialist and runs her own firm with fourteen attorneys and staff with offices in Pleasanton and Oakland, California. Renée has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer" each year since 2014 and has received annual recognition as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California and Top 100 Lawyers in Northern California. She has practiced family law in the Bay Area exclusively since 2005, specializing in complex custody and financial matters. Renée is an experienced and effective advocate for her clients in negotiations, court proceedings, and trials. She handles all types of family law matters, including divorce, separation, prenuptial agreements, child custody, child support, spousal support, paternity, domestic partnership adoptions, domestic partnership dissolutions, and complex property division. She has a reputation for being knowledgeable, ethical, and zealous in pursuing the best outcomes for her clients. She is also an active volunteer and leader in the legal community, serving as judge pro tem, mentor, and a speaker on various family law topics. Renée was the 2024 Chapter President for AAML Northern California, and acts as the Chapter’s immediate past president for 2025.
Partner, Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. (Florida)
Shaping Futures in the Shadows: Insights Into Developmental
Parenting Plans Rise to the Top: Secrets to Success in Leadership
Elisha D. Roy is a Board Certified Marital & Family Law attorney and a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) as well as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocates. Ms. Roy is a partner at the prestigious West Palm Beach law firm Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A., specializing in complex financial and child-related case work. She is well known for her active involvement in legislation, participating in the authorship of statutes pertaining to alimony, relocation, and timesharing, including intimate involvement with the recent changes to Florida law. She is known to be a rule follower and creative problem solver with a no-nonsense approach to the practice of law. Ms. Roy provides her clients with easy-to-understand guidance throughout the legal process and works steadfastly to arrive at outside-the-box resolutions when possible, but is a reputed fierce litigator, when necessary. Meticulous preparation and conscientious representation are the keys to Ms. Roy’s success both in and out of the courtroom. Having led various legal and philanthropic organizations throughout her career, Ms. Roy is certainly known as part of the 20% who gets things done. She has an active international practice, not just with abduction and service cases, but also in drafting multijurisdictional Agreements with teams of lawyers and advisors from around the country and around the world. Ms. Roy has been awarded for her hard work both in and out of the courtroom, recently receiving the 2022 Visionary Award from the Florida Bar Family Law Section and the 2018 Trailblazer Award from the Florida Bar Family Law Section. In her spare time, Ms. Roy loves spending time with her children and her husband; she is an avid Crossfitter and loves hiking and outdoor activities.
Managing Partner, Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. (Florida)
Rise to the Top: Secrets to Success in Leadership
Thomas J. Sasser is the managing partner of the law firm of Sasser, Cestero & Sasser, P.A., which is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law. Mr. Sasser is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML”) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (“IAFL”). He is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Law Trial Lawyers. He received his J.D. in 1995 from The University of Florida and his B.A. in 1992 from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a past Chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. In addition, he is a four-time past chair of the Florida Bar Marital and Family Law Board Certification Review Course. He is a past President of the Florida Chapter of the AAML and serves as a national Vice President of the AAML. He also is currently President-Elect of the IAFL and has served on the Board of the United States Chapter of the IAFL. He served as the chair of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Family Law Practice Committee from 2003 - 2008. Mr. Sasser is the author of numerous articles for the Family Law Section Commentator and The Florida Bar Journal. He often lectures for the Palm Beach County Bar Association, The Florida Bar Family Law Section, the AAML and the IAFL. He currently presents the Annual Caselaw Update on Florida Family Law during both The Florida Bar Family Law Section Review Course and the AAML Florida Chapter Institute.
President, Henson Efron, P.A. (Minnesota)
Rise to the Top: Secrets to Success in Leadership
Lisa Spencer is the current Secretary of the AAML’s Executive Committee. Her career is marked by significant leadership roles: Lisa is President of the Minneapolis law firm of Henson Efron, P.A.; she is a former President of the AAML- Minnesota Chapter; former Chair of the 4th District Ethics Committee (the committee that investigates ethics complaints against lawyers in her district), and has held numerous other leadership roles in her state and county bar associations. Lisa has received a number of honors as well, including 2018 and 2020 Minneapolis Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America; a 2020 Notable Women in Law by Twin Cities Business; and a 2020 Women in Business Honoree in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Senior Partner, The Stevens Law Group, LLC (South Carolina)
Tech & Tactics: Modernizing Your Firm Behind Your Doors
Ben Stevens is the Senior Partner at The Stevens Law Group, LLC, a boutique family law firm based in Spartanburg, SC, and he handles complex divorce, child custody, and other domestic matters statewide. Mr. Stevens currently serves as President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and he has held numerous other positions in the past. He is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a Board-Certified Family Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Stevens has been designated as a Super Lawyer in Family Law for multiple years, and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America©. He has held an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for many years. Ben previously served on the Board of Governors of the South Carolina Bar, as well as Chair of both the South Carolina Bar’s Family Law Council and the Family Law Section of the South Carolina Association for Justice. Mr. Stevens co-authored Family Law Essentials: A Primer for the Private Practice Before the Family Court in South Carolina, which was published in 2018 by the South Carolina Bar. This comprehensive book not only explains the substantive law and procedure, it also provides tips and pointers for a more efficient and effective family law practice. He has planned, moderated, and given presentations on family law topics locally, nationally, and internationally. Ben graduated with honors from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management with a minor in Accounting. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina. Ben is happily married to his law partner, Jenny Stevens, and they are the proud parents of six children, one grandchild, and four cats. In his (sparse and infrequent) spare time, he enjoys painting as a hobby.
Partner, Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf, LLP (New Jersey)
Roundtable Discussion: The Move From 2nd Chair to 1st Chair
Amanda is a Vice President of the AAML and Past President of the New Jersey Chapter of the AAML. She volunteers regularly to speak to family law professionals because she believes that sharing knowledge improves the practice for all of us. Prior audiences include the AAML’s Associate Institute, the National Family Law Trial Institute, the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section, and many state-based professional organizations. As a partner in the Matrimonial Law Department at Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP in New Jersey, where she is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, Amanda exclusively practices family law. Due in large part to her contacts through the AAML, and her Fellowship in the International Academy of Family Lawyers, her practice goes far beyond state borders to include interstate and international issues. She always welcomes your questions and comments during the presentation and, of course, afterwards. Amanda has previously served as the Chair of both the Admissions and Membership Committees of the AAML so if you have questions about Fellowship, please contact her any time at ast@njlawfirm.com.
Senior Partner, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP (Illinois)
Bring Lawyers, Guns and Money: Negotiating Prenuptial Agreements Mastering the Art of Evidence
As a Senior Partner of Schiller DuCanto and Fleck LLP, Anita’s passion lies in working with people to improve their lives and not just by representing them in legal proceedings. Anita uses what she learned in over 30 years of family law practice to raise consciousness to the long-term effects of decisions people often make without her advice that negatively affect their business, investments, and other important life choices. Many realize too late that those decisions have future consequences they didn’t expect. No matter what questions Anita answers for her clients, her joy comes from helping people avoid regrets. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan and Graduated from the College of Law at DePaul University. A Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Anita currently serves as Counsel. She serves on the Board of the American Bar Association Family Law Section Trial Advocacy Institute having been Section Chair in 2008/09, and also sits on the American Bar Association Board of Governors on behalf of the Section of Family Law having served multiple terms as Section Delegate. Anita is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Anita served as adjunct Faculty for Family Law Legal Writing at DePaul University College of Law. She’s been consistently named in Best Lawyers in America, Illinois Super Lawyers and the Leading Attorneys Network and various “Top" lists in various publications, and DePaul University College of Law selected her as their outstanding Law School Alumni in 2019.
Partner, Pollock Begg (Pennsylvania)
Tax, Tactics & Tidbits
As a partner at Pittsburgh-based Pollock Begg, Brian C. Vertz is a reliable problem solver who prevails in domestic and international custody litigation, spousal and child support, traditional and collaborative divorces, confidential settlements, prenuptial agreements, and family law appeals. Brian devises efficient solutions to resolve each aspect of his family law engagements. With an MBA degree and business valuation credentials, Brian is uniquely equipped for cases involving valuation of closely held businesses, executive compensation, medical and dental practices, double dipping, asset tracing, and family trusts. Brian translates facts and figures into a narrative that judges and clients can comprehend and respect. Brian is a tenacious advocate who is also proficient in collaborative divorce and custody mediation. He speaks the special language of clients in the financial services, insurance, and health care industries. He is a persuasive writer with a successful track record in the trial and appellate courts. As a co-author of the legal reference book, “Divorce Taxation," Brian is recognized in the legal and accounting fields as an authority on divorce taxation issues. Blending compassion with practical know-how, Brian brings order to the emotional process of divorce. Brian’s diverse experience provides clients with strategic options to meet their unique family situations. Brian is respected locally and nationally by his professional colleagues, who have selected him annually as a Top 50 Pittsburgh Super Lawyer and 2019 Lawyer of the Year for Pittsburgh (Best Lawyers in America). Outside of the courtroom, Brian is an influential leader in local and national organizations that focus on improving the practice of family law. As President of the AAML Foundation, he oversees a national grant-making nonprofit that helps children and families who are underserved within the family law profession. For many years, Brian has been active as an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He has led and served on the AAML’s Chapter Leaders, Amicus, Law Practice Management, and Technology committees.
Attorney, CashattWarren Family Law, P.C. (Iowa)
Secrets of the Bar: Hot Tips
Stacey Warren is a focused trial attorney who has established herself as a leader in and out of family law courtrooms during her 28 year career. She provides practical and sound advice to clients with strong dedication to their financial and emotional well-being. Stacey takes on highconflict custody cases and complex financial cases, working to negotiate successful settlements or litigate to positive outcomes for her clients. As lead trial counsel in Anderung v. Anderung, an international child abduction case tried in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Stacey obtained a successful return of a child to the Swedish father. She takes pride in being a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), a worldwide association of practicing lawyers recognized as the most experienced and skilled family law specialists in their respective countries. A life-long learner, Stacey stays up on current trends, changes, and caselaw in family law, and is an avid reader of anything historical or political. She teaches trial lawyers how to try family law cases and mentors young attorneys who have an interest in family law. Stacey has enjoyed over 20 years of being an active co-step-parent to her children, who are now adults with their own families, and she also thinks being a grandparent is the best thing ever.