Divorce & Separation

We are often brought in to try cases that were initially handled by other law firms. We represent clients in both trials and appeals. We have represented same-sex couples well before their right to marry was accepted, and continue to do so today.

We represent individuals across the spectrum of industries: from finance, to real estate to technology. We represent first-time entrepreneurs and fourth-generation family business owners, as well as professionals in the arts and entertainment, athletes and politicians, including high-ranking government officials. We represent parents of every kind, from traditional stay-at-home parents without the income or assets to working mothers and fathers, as well as individuals—such as grandparents—who may have shared parental responsibilities for a meaningful period of time.

Our experience before both the trial and the appellate courts is unrivaled. Through our successful representation of clients—including before the highest court in the State—we have obtained some of the most significant rulings in matrimonial and family law in New York.

We have extensive experience navigating a myriad of issues relating to the valuation and equitable distribution of the full range of assets, including:

• Works of art, significant collections of art and other valuable collections
• Hedge, private equity, venture capital and other investment funds, including the asset management companies, “carried interests” and “promotes”
• Technology companies, including start-ups, growth-stage and mature companies in various industries
• Intellectual property and social media interests
• Financial services firms, including investment banks and wealth managements firms
• Commercial and residential real estate development companies and REITs
• Biotech companies
• Closely held/family businesses
• Professional practices
• Trusts, including irrevocable trusts, GRATS, CLATS and donor advised funds created during the marriage or in anticipation of a separation
• Partnerships
• Net Operating Losses and other tax attributes in the United States

We also serve as co-counsel or in an advisory capacity for divorce and custody matters outside of New York State. Clients from around the world seek us out to manage cases involving residences and property held in multiple jurisdictions. We have the experience and insight to effectively navigate the complicated jurisdictional issues as to where divorce proceedings should take place and manage the division of an estate that spans the globe. Our firm can assist in building the right team of local counsel and professionals to successfully see these types of cases through completion. We also appear as counsel of record in many of these jurisdictions.

We have a record of success in handling a myriad of separation and divorce-related financial and child custody matters. Our successes in financial-related disputes include:

• Representing spouses in some of the largest cases in the world
• Securing sizable financial awards, including property division and spousal support on behalf of the non-monied spouse in many cases
• Successfully defending against unjustified, outsized financial demands
• Defending multiple marital settlement agreements from fraud-based challenges and other attacks (e.g., RICO), including a successful matter which is now the seminal case for fraud-based claims
• Defending our clients against challenges from a spouse or former spouse attempting to undo pre-nuptial agreements, marital settlement and trust agreements, and/or avoid their contractual obligations
• Litigating issues related to the ownership, valuation and distribution of artwork in divorce
• Establishing favorable percentage distributions for our clients
• Establishing favorable valuations and dates of valuations
• Negotiating divorce settlement agreements protecting the interests of a multitude of hedge fund and private equity firm principals, real estate developers and other business owners
• Dealing with valuation issues related to intellectual property and social media
• Representing numerous clients in connection with finding assets that were hidden and not disclosed by a spouse, and recovering assets fraudulently transferred, including to trust vehicles, both domestic and “off-shore”
• Protecting client privacy from litigation abuses, including obtaining sanctions in a divorce case when our client’s electronic devices were improperly accessed
• Enforcing child support and spousal support provisions of marital settlement agreements on behalf of recipient spouses
• Successfully defending and challenging numerous trial court decisions in the appellate courts
• Negotiating and litigating child support provisions including housing, lifestyle expenses, health care and education
• Navigating and structuring provisions to protect the inheritances of the children of the marriage
• Protecting assets secured in trusts and family partnerships
• Obtaining sanctions and contempt findings where spouses have abused the financial discovery process and disregarded court orders, including having multiple spouses jailed for egregious abuses