Institute for Family Law Associates: Speaker Biographies

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Janet Battey, Partner, Ferro, Battey & Eucalitto, LLC

Trial Skills – Theme, Theory and The Art of Persuasion
Creative Evidence

Attorney Battey, partner at Ferro, Battey & Eucalitto, LLC, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She was admitted to practice in 2008. She practices exclusively in the area of matrimonial and family law.

Attorney Battey has been selected to be included in The Best Lawyers in America each year from 2017 through the present in the field of Family Law. She was also recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in the field of Family Law each year from 2011 through the present. Attorney Battey was also named a Top Attorney in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine in 2013.

Attorney Battey serves as a Special Master in the Stamford/Norwalk judicial district. She also serves on the faculty for the American Bar Association Family Law Trial Advocacy at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in Boulder, Colorado, at which she teaches trial skills to other family law attorneys from across the country. She graduated with honors from Quinnipiac University School of Law. While in law school, she was a Dean’s Fellow Scholar.

In addition, Attorney Battey serves as a member and past president on the Executive Board of the Westport Young Women’s League, as well as on the board of St. Paul’s Christian School.

Laura C. Belleau, Partner, Belleau Family Law Group

An Overview of UCCJEA and UIFSA
Ethics Jeopardy

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.

Sandra A. Brooks, Principal, Offit Kurman

Organize the Case – The Associate’s Perspective
Taxes and Divorce
Pepto Bismol Moments – What to Do When You Mess Up

Sandra (“Sandy”) Brooks’ practice focuses on all aspects of family law. She dedicates her time to assisting clients in domestic law matters including divorce, child custody/visitation, family mediation, spousal/child support, property division and division of retirement benefits. Sandy’s other areas of deep knowledge and experience include tax consequences of divorce, mediation, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, negotiating and drafting of separation agreements, domestic litigation and post-judgment proceedings. Sandy is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers which places her in the top 5% of family law attorneys in the United States. She is also a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), which is comprised of 700 of the most highly regarded family law lawyers throughout the world.

Michael I. Flores, Esq., Founder, Michael I. Flores, PC

Michael I. Flores, Esq, Founder, Michael I. Flores, PC

Depositions of Lay Witnesses and Prepping Your Client to Testify
Executive Benefits Beyond Retirement
Discovery

Michael I. Flores is the founder of Michael I. Flores, PC, a law firm devoted exclusively to representing individuals in the practice of family and matrimonial law. Michael I. Flores, PC is ranked as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms” (2017 to 2025 editions). Mr. Flores and his associates represent clients involved in matrimonial and domestic relations matters across Massachusetts in trials and appeals. The firm’s attorneys have a strong commitment to pro bono representation of children. Mr. Flores is a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Currently, he is co-chairman of the Academy’s national legislation committee. Mr. Flores is also a former Chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Family Law Section Council. The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory has awarded Mr. Flores its “AV ” rating, the highest possible peer rating granted to a select group of attorneys. He is consistently ranked as a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” by Boston Magazine and he is also recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of family law. Mr. Flores appears regularly as a panelist at continuing education programs hosted by the MBA, MCLE, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Flores has also appeared as a panelist at the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court’s Spring judicial conferences in 2018 and 2019. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and the Western New England University School of Law.

Daniel L. Gray, Founding Partner, Cooper Ginsberg Gray, PLLC

Client Management – What to Do, When to Do It, and Why It Matters
Examining Experts – Direct

Dan received his BA from the University of Virginia in 1993, and his JD from the George Mason University School of Law in 1996. He began practicing family law after his Fairfax County Virginia state court clerkship in 1997. For the last 20 years he has practiced as a founding member with Cooper Ginsberg Gray, PLLC in Fairfax Virginia. He is former AAML Virginia Chapter President, and is current Virginia Chapter Representative to the AAML House of Governors. He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Virginia Bar Association, and is the Chairman of the Committee on Nominations to Virginia Commissions & Appellate Courts. He is Immediate Past Chairman of the Virginia Family Law Coalition, providing guidance and testimony on family law matters to the Virginia General Assembly. He is former chair of the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section, former President of the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference, former chair of the Fairfax County Bar Family Law Section, former member of the Virginia Child Support Guidelines Commission, and the 2022 Recipient of the VSB Family Law Service Award. He also served on the faculties of the VSB Carrico Professionalism Course and Law School Professionalism Course. He is a member of the Virginia, DC, and Maryland bars, and lectures extensively on family law and ethics matters in all three jurisdictions. He is a contributing author to The Virginia Lawyer: A Textbook for Practitioners. He is current Chairman of the Board for Pathway Homes Florida, a non-profit that provides non-time-limited housing and services for persons with mental illness and is former Chairman of the Board of Pathway Homes Virginia.

Jim Hunnicut, Managing Attorney, Dolowitz Hunnicutt & Gibbs

Jim Hunnicutt, Managing Attorney, Dolowitz Hunnicutt & Gibbs

Dealing with Opposing Counsel
Challenging an Expert

Jim Hunnicutt is an AV-rated attorney who practices family law at the Salt Lake City law firm of Dolowitz Hunnicutt & Gibbs. Jim is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. Jim’s volunteer activities presently include serving on the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Utah Judicial Council’s Family Law Procedures Subcommittee, and the Utah State Bar Family Law Section’s Executive Committee. Jim graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School in 2000, then clerked for a federal district court judge in Maine before returning to his home state of Utah and entering private practice.

Scott M. Mann, Managing Partner, MannTuckerMuirGordon, LLC

Boundaries and Balance in the Practice of Law
Examining Experts – Depositions and Cross

Scott M. Mann is the managing member of MannTuckerMuirGordon, LLC, The Family Law Firm, in Fairway, Kansas (Kansas City). 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 and is licensed in both Missouri and Kansas. He is National First Vice President and Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and was selected Fellow of the Year for 2023. Scott is a Fellow and, a Board of Managers Member of the USA Chapter, of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He 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. Scott 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. Scott 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.

Lauren Melhart, Partner, Kinser & Bates LLP

Objections
Introduction to Business Financials
Business Valuation – The Lawyer’s Perspective

Lauren E. Melhart is a partner at Kinser & Bates, LLP in Dallas, Texas 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 and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers on a variety family law issues and given speeches to a number of family law related organizations. Ms. Melhart is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, serves on the board of directors of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, is a Council Member on the Family Section for the State Bar of Texas, and is a faculty member with the American Bar Association’s Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute.

Kristi Reardon, Partner, Reardon House Colton PLC

Financial Infidelity Claims
Military Benefits in Divorce

Kristi is a Certified Family Law Specialist with Reardon House Colton PLC. She handles litigation in all areas of family law, including complex financial matters, paternity matters, and custody matters. In addition to her family law practice, Kristi also has a significant appellate practice. Her published appellate matters include notable cases before the Supreme Court of Arizona and the Arizona Court of Appeals. Kristi is the author of Arizona Legal Forms: Family Law, published by Thomson Reuters. Kristi is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized in the annual Southwest Super Lawyers Listing. Kristi frequently presents at legal conferences and seminars, sharing her insights on case law updates, trial litigation strategies, and appellate procedures. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kristi is committed to mentoring young attorneys and contributing to the legal community.

Renee Ross, Founding Partner of Ross Family Law, P.C.

Digital Assets
Breaking Down Tax Returns
Emerging Issues in Family Law

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.

Kevin Jeffrey Rubin, Esq., Founding Partner, Rubin Family Law LLC

Agreements That Affect a Divorce
Retirement
Trusts and Estate Planning

Kevin Rubin graduated from Emory University School of Law in 2008 and is licensed to practice law in Georgia. He holds a Master of Science in Information Systems Technology (MSIST) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from George Washington University. Kevin is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). Kevin also serves on the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Georgia’s Family Law Section and the Board of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Family Law Section. Originally from Philadelphia, Kevin now resides in suburban Atlanta with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and cheering on the Atlanta Braves and his hometown Philadelphia Eagles. Kevin is also committed to community service, serving on the Board of the Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF), a non-profit that provides interest-free loans for higher education to Jewish students in need.

Thomas J. Sasser, Esq., Managing Partner, Sasser, Cestero & Roy

Building a Good Reputation
Practice Management and Business Development

Thomas J. Sasser is the managing partner of the law firm of Sasser, Cestero & Roy, 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. Mr. Sasser 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.

Laura David Smith, Esq., Partner, Davis Smith & Jean, LLC

Laura Davis Smith, Esq., Partner, Davis Smith & Jean, LLC

Introduction to Parenting Plan Concepts & Terminology
Drafting Orders and Preserving the Record
Ethical Issues for Advanced Lawyers

Laura Davis Smith is a Fellow of the AAML, serving as President of the Florida Chapter (2024-2025). Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Supreme Court, Ms. Smith is also a member of the Massachusetts and Georgia Bars. Ms. Smith is the managing partner of Davis Smith & Jean, LLC in Coral Gables, Florida, has served as Chair of the Family Law Section (FLS) of The Florida Bar, is a Trustee of the FLS, is an AAML-certified Arbitrator, Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, is trained in Collaborative Law, and is a frequent contributor to family law publications. Ms. Smith is the 2023 recipient of the Melinda P. Gamot Award and the proud parent of two Florida ‘Noles!

Todd A. Stahly, Partner, Stahly Miner LLC

Dealing with Experts as an Associate
Easy Evidence
Overlooked Assets

Attorney Todd Stahly’s practice focuses primarily on complex divorce cases. He has successfully helped clients resolve cases involving the division and valuation of closely held business interests, family trusts, family limited partnerships, start-up businesses, oil, gas and mineral interests and unique asset and debt structures. Mr. Stahly is not fearful of the courtroom, but rather, capitalizes on creative settlement opportunities — which is always the first approach before engaging in trial. Using this approach helps him keep control of the outcome in the client’s hand. However, if all settlement approaches fail, he will have taken the steps necessary to ensure the client’s interests and rights are preserved to advance the case through trial to full resolution. Mr. Stahly has handled numerous complicated family law cases in Boulder, CO and throughout the state involving custody, interstate custody, parenting time, decision-making, parental alienation and addressing both founded and unfounded allegations of child abuse and neglect. He relies on a unique approach to these cases that is child-based and focused, allowing solutions to be reached, inside and outside the courtroom, that account for the best interests of the child. Mr. Stahly is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He is also a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers (limited to selection of two attorneys per state) recognizing the achievements of the top 100 family law trial lawyers in the U.S. In addition, Mr. Stahly has presented on various topics of interests at continuing education events, both to local lawyers, Colorado Judicial Officers and colleagues.

Institute for Family Law Associates: Speaker Biographies