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The Institute's team of instructors is comprised of trial lawyers, judges, law teachers, and financial and psychological experts. Each member of the team was selected because of his or her skills as advocate, expert, and teacher. All are versed in NITA's teaching methods and bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. Each participant will receive the benefit of years of experience, insight, and expertise as they receive personally tailored comments designed to improve their skills.

We will continue updating this page with faculty biographies, so please check back.


David C. Ainley

Mr. Ainley concentrates his practice in the area of family law as a partner in the Chicago law firm of Katz & Stefani, LLC. He received his B.S. in Business Management from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana (1990) and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois (1994). He was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1994 and the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court in 1999. Mr. Ainley is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a member of the Board of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and an appointed member of the Illinois State Bar Association's Family Law Section Council and Committee on Professional Conduct. Mr. Ainley is a former Assistant Public Defender with the Cook County Public Defender's Office in Chicago, Illinois, where he handled several hundred bench and jury trials in such areas as domestic violence, child protection, narcotics, and other felony matters. Mr. Ainley is a frequent lecturer on family law issues including tax, trusts, evidence, trial advocacy, and business and real property valuation including most recently, Business Valuation Guest Attorney "Trying the Domestic Relations Case," Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2008 and 2009; "Advanced Evidence," American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2008; "Issues Affecting the Treatment of Trusts in Divorce," Stout Risius Ross 2007; "Tax Matters and Ramifications in Divorce," National Business Institute, 2007; National Business Institute Seminar on Financial Settlement Strategies for Divorce, 2006; Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Seminar on Property Issues in Family Law, 2006. Mr. Ainley is also a Co-Author of the Attorneys' Fees chapter in the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Family Law Series, 2008.

 

 

Arthur E. Balbirer

Arthur E. Balbirer is admitted to the Connecticut Bar; the U.S. District Court for District of Connecticut; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Named one of the best matrimonial lawyers in the United States, Town & Country Magazine (1985); named one of the Best Lawyers in America, Naifeh and Smith (all editions); Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1972. President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) (1992-1993); Governor of AAML (1984-1987); President of the Connecticut Chapter of AAML (1979-1981); Chairman, Family Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association (1976-1978); Founding Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Co-author of "Annual Survey of Connecticut Family Law," Connecticut Law Journal (1974- 1996); Senior Topical Editor on Family Law, Connecticut Bar Journal (1979-1996). Lecturer: University of Connecticut Law School; Fairfield University; numerous conferences/seminars in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Adjunct Professor of Family Law University of Connecticut Law School (2000-2001); Special Master appointed by the Superior Court in New Haven, Fairfield and Hartford Counties; Mediator in numerous cases throughout the country. Arbitrator Certified by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

 

Stacy Collins

Stacy Preston Collins, CPA/ABV, CFF, is a Managing Director at Financial Research Associates, with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. She has provided expert testimony on business valuation and forensic accounting issues in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Florida. Ms. Collins' experience includes marital dissolution cases, corporate litigation, estate planning valuations and transactions. She has co-authored courses on business appraisal and has presented valuation and forensic accounting topics to financial professionals, attorneys and judges in many forums. Ms. Collins has been involved with the ABA's Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute since 2000. She also participated in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers' Institute for Training Family Law Associates in 2006-2008. Ms. Collins graduated from Drexel University with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. She holds the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) designations from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She is Chair of the AICPA's Family Law Task Force and is a member of its Forensic and Litigation Services Committee. She is also a member of the Expert Resource Connection.

 

Gaetano (Guy) Ferro

Gaetano Ferro is a past president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, and a past chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Family Law Section. Mr. Ferro is one of Super Lawyers Magazine's top ten lawyers in Connecticut and one of its top one hundred lawyers in New England. He has been continuously listed in Naifeh and Smith, The Best Lawyers in America since 1989. He frequently appears in other listings of top lawyers including those in Worth Magazine, New York Magazine, Westchester Magazine, and Connecticut Magazine. Mr. Ferro served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and of the Connecticut Family Lawyer. He was the Connecticut Bar Journal's Senior Topical Editor for Family Law and was Executive Editor of the Connecticut Law Review. Mr. Ferro has authored more than sixty-five published articles on a wide variety of family law topics. Those articles have been published in the Connecticut Law Tribune, the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Connecticut Bar Journal, the Connecticut Family Lawyer, and the Family Advocate. Mr. Ferro has lectured or delivered more than seventy family law presentations to many different professional organizations including, most recently, the American Bar Association Family Law's Trial Advocacy Institute (Denver, 2009), the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers' annual meeting (Chicago, 2008), the Association of Divorce Financial Planners' 6th annual conference (New York City, 2008), the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers / the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' biennial conferences on divorce (Las Vegas, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002), and the Section of Family Law of the American Bar Association's Fall CLE conference (Memphis, 2007).

 

Kathleen Henken 

M.A., Columbia University M.D., University of Denver Kathleen Henken, LCSW, PsyD, is both a licensed psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker who has been providing services to children and families for more than thirty years.  She received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver.  Formerly on staff at The Children’s Hospital and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, she has a private practice in Denver, Colorado, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of individuals who have been affected by various psychological disorders as well as high-conflict divorce, chronic illness, crisis and trauma, and child abuse and neglect.  She has taught family therapy in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, supervises graduate students at the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology, and is a consultant to the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law’s Child Advocacy Clinic.  In addition, Dr. Henken has served as a faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for more than a dozen years.  A member of various professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, Colorado Psychological Association, Society for Personality Assessment and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, she is a past president of the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, a group of mental health professionals and lawyers who specialize in various areas related to family law.

 Lewis Kapner

Lewis Kapner is senior partner and founder of the firm of Kapner, Calebrese & Kapner, P.A. He previously served as Chief Judge of Palm Beach County. He is a Fellow of the American and International Academies of Matrimonial Law and is listed in Best Lawyers in America. He has taught at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and has served as Dean of the Florida Judicial College. He has been a recipient of the Learned Hand Award from the American Jewish Committee and the Jurist of the Year award from the Florida Chapter of AAML. He was named South Florida Family Lawyer of the year for 2009 by Best Lawyers in America.

Jim Lawrence

Jim Lawrence's background combines law, psychology and theatre, which he uses to provide legal professionals with the communications skills they need to succeed. He holds a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center; a Master's in Human Development and Psychological Counseling, and has studied acting/performance for more than 20 years. At the University of Houston Law Center, Jim currently directs a highly successful Moot Court Program. Over the past four years, the program has won 16 national and regional titles and awards. Before working with the moot court program, Jim served as Program Director for the Trial Skills Program. Jim is the innovator behind the Attorney Communication and Persuasion Course which uses Neuro-Linguistic Programming concepts to teach students the foundational elements of communication in a legal setting. Jim has used these same techniques in making communication presentations before the ABA's Trial Advocacy Institute and such law firms as Baker Botts LLP and Winstead Secrest & Minick LLP. Jim also serves as a consultant to The Advocates, a national jury science firm.

 

 

 

David Martindale

Dr. David Martindale, board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, served as the Reporter for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts' Model Standards for Child Custody Evaluation and is the co-author, with Jon Gould, of The Art and Science of Child Custody Evaluations. His 2001 article entitled Cross-examining mental health experts in child custody litigation, published in The Journal of Psychiatry and Law, is widely referenced. Dr. Martindale's practice is limited to consulting with attorneys, psychologists, and psychology licensing boards in the areas of child custody and professional ethics and standards.

 

 

James (Jim) T. McLaren

Jim McLaren maintains a statewide family law practice emphasizing complex marital litigation in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a partner in the law firm of McLaren & Lee. He has served the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in various capacities since becoming a Fellow. He currently serves as a Vice-President and is on the Executive Committee. He received the Fellow of the Year from the Academy in 2007. He serves on the Board of Directors of the AAML Foundation. He is the Co-Chair of the Website Committee, and serves on the Best Practices Committee. For the South Carolina Chapter of the Academy, he has served as President and National Delegate. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. He is currently the Chapter President for the International Network of Boutique Law Firms. Mr. McLaren has been named in the Best Lawyers in America, Family Law Designation, from 1993 through 2010, received an "AV" designation from Martindale Hubbell since 1996, and was named in the South Carolina Super Lawyers publication. He is a contributing author to the South Carolina Equitable Apportionment Act (§20-7-741, et. seq., S.C. Code of Laws) and the South Carolina Alimony Statute (§20-3-130, South Carolina Code of Laws). Mr. McLaren received his Bachelor of Arts (1973) and Juris Doctorate (1976) degrees from the University of South Carolina. He was admitted to practice in 1976 and has maintained a private practice in Columbia, South Carolina since that time. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit, US. District Court, South Carolina District, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a frequent speaker on various family law topics for the South Carolina Bar, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Bar Association, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, Mandatory Judicial and Continuing Legal Education Seminars.

Ronald W. Nelson

Ronald W. Nelson is a principal of Ronald W. Nelson PA, focusing his practice on complex family law issues, with special emphasis on high conflict and special needs families, interstate and international child custody and support. Mr. Nelson has an extensive appellate practice, having handled over 80 appeals. Receiving his JD from Washburn University Law School in 1981 (with honors), Ron is admitted to practice before the Kansas Supreme Court, the federal district courts for Kansas and the Western District of Missouri, the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He served two terms on the American Bar Association Family Law Section Governing Council and three terms as Chair of the Kansas Bar Association Family Law Section. He continues to serve as Legislative Liaison for the KBA Family Law Section, as a member of the Johnson County (Kansas) Bench-Bar Committee, and the Kansas Judicial Council, Family Law Advisory Committee, and in leadership positions in the ABA Section of Family Law. Mr. Nelson frequently lectures at national, state, regional, and local conferences, is contributing author to the Practitioner's Guide to Kansas Family Law, and contributes to national, state, and local family law publications.

Hon. Edward H. Newman

Edward H. Newman was appointed a Magistrate of the Rhode Island Family Court on December 17, 2002. He received his BA from Providence College in 1969 and his JD from Suffolk University Law School in 1972. He was admitted to practice before the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1972, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island in 1972, United States Tax Court in 1974 and the United States Supreme Court in 1978. Magistrate Newman served as lecturer at Providence College from 1974 to 1986 and he presently lectures for the Rhode Island Bar Association and has lectured at Roger Williams University Law School. He has served as a member of the American Bar Association's Family Law Section (on council); the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association (vice-president); the Rhode Island Bar Association, (Chair of the Superior Court Bench Bar Committee); member of the Family Law Bench Bar Committee; member of the House of Delegates, Rhode Island Bar Association; and the Rhode Island Family Law Inn of Court (president, 3 years). Magistrate Newman has served as the Chair of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel, Supreme Court Permanent Advisory Committee on Women and Minorities in the Court, and Chair of the Education Subcommittee for the Rhode Island Supreme Court Permanent Advisory Committee for Women and Minorities. He has served as Town Solicitor for the Town of Richmond, Rhode Island, and was Probate Judge from 1988 to 2002 for the Town of Richmond, Rhode Island. He was also a Bail Commission authorized to issue judicial warrants statewide and set bail for the Rhode Island Family Court and Rhode Island District Court. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Greg J. Ortiz

Greg Ortiz practices exclusively in the area of family law and is a member with the law firm Ham and Ortiz, LLC. Mr. Ortiz is a standing member of the American Bar Association Family Law Section executive council and has been a member and/or chair on a number of the Family Law Section's committees, including the CLE Planning Committee, Long Range Planning, Finance Committee, Diversity Committee, Marital Property Committee and Nomination Committee. Mr. Ortiz obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Colorado and his Juris Doctorate from University of Denver. He has worked in various capacities in the areas of juvenile and family law and has published and spoken on issues in family law across the country. Mr. Ortiz is a member of the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association and the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee. In addition, Mr. Ortiz has volunteered his services to numerous legal aid and pro bono legal services in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area.

Steven N. Peskind

Steven N. Peskind is the principal of the Peskind Law Firm, located in St. Charles, Illinois. Both he and the firm concentrate in matrimonial and family law. He is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and was elected to the American Law Institute in 2006. In 2007, Mr. Peskind was inducted into Scribes, a legal writing honor society. In 2008, he was appointed by the Illinois Legislature to serve on the Illinois Family Law Study Committee. The committee is studying ways to improve Illinois' family laws. Currently Mr. Peskind serves as the chair of the ABA Family Section Law Practice Management/Technology Committee and is also the vice-chair of the ABA Family Law Section Assisted Reproductive Technologies Committee. Steven Peskind publishes a family law blog at lexfamilia.wordpress.com.

Catherine (Kit) Holland Petersen

President of Petersen, Henson, Meadows, Pecore and Peot, P.C. of Norman, Oklahoma, Catherine Holland Petersen has practiced family law in excess of thirty years. She is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, named one of the Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in American Women and an Oklahoma Superlawyer. She is a frequent lecturer on ethics and family law around the country and has taught for the American Bar Association Family Law Section Trial Advocacy Institute for over ten years.

Photo coming soon

 

 

Nancy Chausow Shafer

Nancy Chausow Shafer is principal in the Highland Park firm, Chausow Shafer, PC, concentrating in Matrimonial Law, including Litigation, Mediation and Collaboration. She is chapter co-author of Child Custody Litigation, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publication 1991 Edition, and has conducted presentations at Continuing Legal Education seminars on various topics, including: Business Valuation for Dummies (2002); Presentation of complex financial issues in divorce litigation (2004); Mediation: Being an Advocate without being Adversarial (2005); Domestic Partnerships—Financial Implications (2005); UCCJEA and UIFSA: Understanding Jurisdictional Distinctions (2006); and Maintenance Guidelines: A Modest Proposal (2008). She is recipient of the AAML 2008 Michael Cohen Award for contributing greatly over the years to the continuing education of lawyers in the area of Family Law and has been selected by her peers as an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Family Law and Illinois SuperLawyer. Professional affiliations include: Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1992–present; Past member, Illinois AAML Chapter Board of Governors, Illinois Delegate to national AAML Board of Governors; Faculty for Mediation Training offered by the AAML, DePaul University and Mediation Training and Consultation Institute, Ann Arbor MI.

Anita Ventrelli

Anita M. Ventrelli is a partner of Schiller DuCanto and Fleck LLP. She has a strong background in trial and settlement of complex matters, employing her extensive experience in computer analysis and litigation support techniques. A graduate of DePaul University School of Law, Ms. Ventrelli was recommended by peers to the Leading Lawyer's Network and Illinois Super Lawyers and was named one of the "40 Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch" in 2003 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Ms. Ventrelli is currently a member of the Board of the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute as well as a faculty member. She is a Past Chair of the ABA Section of Family Law, and has served on the governing council, the Publications Board, the Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee, and formerly chaired the Domestic Violence/Family Abuse Committee and Ethics Committees. Ms. Ventrelli is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Chapter. Ms Ventrelli was named Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by the Illinois State Bar Association in 2001, where she served on the Family Law Section Council, chaired the Minority and Women Participation Committee, was a member of the Special Committee on Women and the Law, and served on the Judicial Evaluation Committee. Ms. Ventrelli has lectured on family law topics for the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and community groups. She is a co-author of the "Trial Practice Considerations" Chapter of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Illinois Family Law Series and has published articles for the American Bar Association Family Advocate magazine and other periodicals.

Mario Ventrelli

Since 1995, Mr. Ventrelli has practiced solely in the area of matrimonial law. Mr. Ventrelli is a partner with the firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP, the nation's largest matrimonial law firm. On both the state and national level, he frequently lectures on a wide variety of family law topics. Over his 14 years of practice, Mr. Ventrelli has represented leaders in the business world and professions, influential civic and political personalities, celebrities, and professional athletes. He is skilled in complex litigation including: financial discovery, analysis and planning; valuation of closely-held corporations; drafting premarital, marital and separation agreements; allocation of retirement plans and benefits; analysis of executive compensation; personal and corporate taxation issues; property division; maintenance/alimony and child support; custody, visitation and removal of children; parentage; domestic violence and orders of protection. Since 2006, Mr. Ventrelli has been named an Illinois "Leading Lawyer", in 2008, he was named a Super Lawyer "Rising Star" and, more recently, he was named as one of the Best Lawyers in America by the Naifeh & Smith publication. He resides in Glenview, Illinois, with his wife, Anita (also a partner in the firm) and his son Joseph.

 

Still not sure what our faculty can offer you? Check out the testimonials for comments from past TAI attendees.