SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Click the speaker's headshot to read their bio. To learn more about the speaker's session, view the CLE Program page. To view the entire Annual Meeting agenda, view the Schedule page.

Gregory N. Brescia, Esq.

Partner, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP (New York)
ACCESS DENIED: It’s 8 a.m. and Nothing Works. Do You Know What to Do?
From Panic to Protocol ~ Managing a Cyberattack Like a Pro

Gregory Brescia is a registered patent attorney whose practice focuses on intellectual property prosecution and litigation, with a particular concentration on trademark, design and utility patents, and copyright matters. Gregory devises and implements world-wide patent and trademark expansion and enforcement strategies for his clients. He also has extensive experience in counseling his clients on internet law issues, such as internet trademark and copyright infringement, internet defamation and false advertising, website agreements, and cyber liability matters, including incident response.

Jorge M. Cestero

Senior Partner, Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. (Florida)
Your Case Involves Another Country: Now What?

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.

Margo A. Cook, CFP, CDFA, CAP, CFRE

President, Wealth and Engagement Planning, Rothschild Capital Partners (FL, MD, DC, VA)
Power, Projections and Advocacy: Strategic Support for the Non-Financial Spouse

Margo joined Rothschild Capital Partners in 2023. Prior to joining RCP, she was a partner at an investment advisory and financial planning firm in Maryland. Her career has navigated a distinct mix of purpose and profit. On the purpose front, she’s been a professional fundraiser, has served on the boards of numerous philanthropic organizations, is active in women-led philanthropy, and co-launched a 501(c)(3). Over the last eight years, she has been a wealth planner with a focus on purpose-driven individuals and their families navigating life’s complexities and opportunities, including issues like divorce and business transition. She holds the following professional designations: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional, CAP® (Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy) and CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive). She has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Miami, and she writes and speaks regularly on topics like financial abuse, financially preparing for divorce, financial recovery, modern family planning, philanthropic strategy, living your purpose, and collaborative financial planning and investment management.

Trish Cooper

Member, Cooper Ramp Cage Bucar Lewis, LLC (Colorado)
Your Case Involves Another Country: Now What?

Trish Cooper has been practicing family law throughout the state of Colorado for almost 25 years. She obtained her law degree from the University of Virginia and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College. Trish’s practice encompasses both ADR and litigation and emphasizes complex financial matters, often involving business valuation, trust interest analysis and valuation, premarital agreements, and asset tracing issues. Trish has been an AAML Fellow since 2011 and is a Past President of the Colorado Chapter. She currently serves on the AAML Journal Board and the Amicus Committee. Trish is a past Chair of the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association and remains active on the Section’s legislative and education committees. She has been frequently recognized as a top Colorado family law attorney by Best Lawyers®, Colorado Super Lawyers®, and 5280 Magazine. In 2024 and 2025, Trish was honored and humbled to be recognized as a Top 10 Colorado Super Lawyer. Trish lectures frequently to practitioners and judges on a wide variety of family law topics, and she also contributes her expertise to family law publications including the AAML Journal, the Practitioner’s Guide to Colorado Domestic Relations Law, and the Colorado Bar Association Family Law Section Bench/Bar book.

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP

Robin Deutsch (Massachusetts)
Walking the Line: Balancing Client Advocacy and Best Interests of Children

Dr. Robin Deutsch provides consultation, mediation, parenting coordination, litigation support and expert witness services, and has an independent practice in Newton, MA. She is Board certified in Couple and Family Psychology, serving as President of the American Board of Couple and Family Psychology in 2021 and 2022. She developed and was the director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law and the Certificate in Child and Family Forensic Issues at William James College, where she was a Professor (ret.) in the Clinical Psychology department. Previously she was an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and for over 20 years Director of Training and Forensic Services in the Children and the Law Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a cofounder of Overcoming Barriers, an organization that provides family-centered services for families in conflict. Dr. Deutsch teaches throughout North America, Europe and Asia, and has published extensively on issues related to parent-child contact problems, attachment, co-parenting after divorce, high conflict divorce, parenting plans and parenting coordination.

She is the co-author of 7 Things Your Teenager Won’t Tell You: and How to Talk about Them Anyway (Ballantine, 2005, 2011) and co-editor with Abigail Judge of the book, Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, Alienation (Oxford, 2016). Dr. Deutsch currently serves as Chair of the American Psychological Association (APA) working group to Review Scientific Literature Regarding High Conflict Family Relationships with Child Involvement. She was the 2002-2003 President of the Massachusetts chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), 2008-2009 President of AFCC, and the former Chair of the APA Ethics Committee (2007). She served on the AFCC task force that developed Guidelines for Examining Intimate Partner Violence, the American Psychological Association (APA) task force that developed Guidelines for Parenting Coordinators (2011), the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Task Force that developed Guidelines for Parenting Coordinators (2006), and the AFCC Task force that developed Guidelines for Court Involved Therapists (2010). She is a fellow of APA, 2006 recipient of the American Psychological Association Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award for Advocacy, the 2017 recipient of the Massachusetts Psychological Association Kenneth D. Herman, Ph.D. J.D. Career Contribution Award, and the 2018 recipient of the AFCC John E. Van Duzer Distinguished Service Award.

James M. Godbout, ASA, CVA, CDFA, CFE, CFP®

Managing Director, CBIZ Forensic Consulting Group, LLC (Illinois)
Business Valuations

James M. Godbout, ASA, CVA, CDFA, CFE, CFP® is a Lead Managing Director with CBIZ Forensic Consulting Group, LLC. Mr. Godbout specializes in business valuation, dispute advisory and financial consulting. Mr. Godbout has provided valuation, dispute advisory, financial consulting and forensic accounting services for numerous purposes, including marital dissolutions, shareholder disputes, estate and gift taxation, business succession planning, commercial litigation, property tax appeals, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, class action suits, reasonable compensation, financing, purchase and sale advisement, executive stock options, and other tax, corporate and litigation related matters. He has testified in federal court, state court and at American Arbitration Association proceedings. Additionally, Mr. Godbout has been trained in mediation and collaborative law.

Mr. Godbout’s experience encompasses a wide range of industries, including but not limited to automotive, banking, physician practices, dental practices, insurance, manufacturing, law firms, healthcare, financial services, private equity funds, hotels, assisted living, retailing, wholesale distribution, consulting, trucking, brokerage, construction, restaurants, software, and consumer products. He has lectured, published articles and presented continuing education seminars for organizations such as the American Bar Association, American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Northwestern University School of Law, the John Marshall Law School, the Illinois CPA Society and several local bar associations. Mr. Godbout previously served as the Business Valuation Chairperson for the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers. He is a faculty member of the National Family Law Trial Institute.

Mr. Godbout is a current member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and the Chicago Estate Planning Council and a Charter Member of the AAML Foundation – Forensic and Business Valuation Division.

Amie C. Martinez

Managing Partner, ACW LAW (Nebraska)
ACCESS DENIED: It’s 8 a.m. and Nothing Works. Do You Know What to Do?
From Panic to Protocol ~ Managing a Cyberattack Like a Pro

Amie C. Martinez is a nationally recognized family law attorney and Managing Partner of Anderson, Creager & Wittstruck PC LLO in Lincoln, Nebraska. With over three decades of experience, she has become a trusted leader in high-stakes divorce and custody litigation, particularly in cases involving complex assets and significant emotional dynamics. A Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) since 2008, Amie currently serves on the AAML House of Governors and was President of the Central States Chapter from 2021 to 2023. Ms. Martinez is board-certified in Family Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell—a distinction awarded to fewer than 5% of attorneys nationwide. She is consistently recognized by Super Lawyers, including back-to-back designations in 2024 and 2025 as one of Nebraska’s Top 10 Super Lawyers. She has also been honored by Best Lawyers in America, including being named “Lawyer of the Year" in Family Law for Lincoln in 2020 and 2022.

In 2014, she was elected to the American Law Institute, one of the most prestigious legal organizations in the country. She is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and the American Bar Foundation, which limits membership to one-third of one percent of lawyers in each jurisdiction. Amie has repeatedly been recognized for her leadership, judgment, and ability to move the profession forward—qualities that have led to a long history of service in local, state, and national roles. She served as President of the Nebraska State Bar Association in 2014–2015 and has held dozens of leadership posts across more than two decades of continuous bar involvement. Her work has included appointments to the ABA House of Delegates, the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary (as Special Advisor by Presidential Appointment), and key ABA and state bar committees focused on ethics, professionalism, family law, and access to justice. She is known as a thoughtful innovator, someone who shows up, follows through, and brings others with her. Her commitment to public service is reflected in her award-winning ABA project One Child, One Lawyer, which trained attorneys nationwide to advocate for permanency in the lives of abused and neglected children. Whether mentoring young attorneys, shaping bar leadership, or litigating complex domestic matters, Amie Martinez is widely respected for her integrity, intellect, and her ability to lead.

Charles Fox Miller

Equity and Administrative Partner, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP (Florida)
Theme, Theory, Evidence & Expertise: Crafting a Trial Narrative

Charles Fox Miller is an equity and administrative partner at the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BA) and Northwestern University School of Law. A national leader in the field of family law, Mr. Miller, has helped thousands of clients in complex divorce and paternity litigation as well as negotiating prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. While family law is often a local practice, Mr. Miller has led cases across the United States, with a focus on Florida and New York, and often involving international issues.

Mr. Miller is a member of The New York Bar and The Florida Bar. He is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is the past President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Florida Chapter) from May 2015 through May 2016. Mr. Miller has served as a faculty member of the National Family Law Trial Institute (2006-present). Mr. Miller has been named as one of Florida’s Top Lawyers in Family Law and is listed in Super Lawyers, Florida’s Best Lawyers, Florida’s Legal Elite, and Best Lawyers in America (2008-2024). Mr. Miller has been recognized as a “Leading Family Lawyer" with Lawdragon 500 (1st Ed. 2020; 2nd Ed. 2024). In 2016, he was recognized in The National Law Journal as a Trailblazer in the issue of Divorce, Trusts & Estates. Mr. Miller has published articles and lectures frequently.

Richard Min

Partner, Green Kaminer Min & Rockmore LLP (New York)
Your Case Involves Another Country: Now What?

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 50 Hague abduction cases across more than a dozen states. Richard has resolved several Hague cases through mediation and has also argued several appeals. In 2022, Richard argued the Hague case of Golan v. Saada before the U.S. Supreme Court. 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). 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. Richard has taught numerous legal education courses and authored articles on the topic of international family law, 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 is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers where he is Co-Chair of the 1980 Hague Committee and is the current Co-Chair of the NYSBA and ABA International Section Family Law Committees.

Renée Ross, Esq.

Founding Partner, Ross Family Law, P.C. (California)
Business Valuations

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.

Dawn Smith, Esq.

Partner, Evolve Family Law, LLC (Georgia)
Walking the Line: Balancing Client Advocacy and Best Interests of Children

Dawn Smith is a partner at Evolve Family Law, LLC in Atlanta Georgia where she practices family law. She has represented children and families for over 35 years. She is Co Chair of the AFCC/AAML Advanced Issues in Child Custody Litigation Conference. In addition to litigating high conflict custody actions, Dawn frequently serves as a Guardian ad Litem, Mediator and Arbitrator. Every year since 2018 she has been named to the Super Lawyers® list of Top 50 Women in Georgia and Top 100 Super Lawyers® in Georgia. In addition to numerous other awards and recognitions, Dawn received the 2021 AAML Public Service Award and the 2016 Atlanta Legal Aid Volunteer of the Year Award.

Brian C. Vertz

Partner, Pollock Begg LLC (Pennsylvania)
Power, Projections and Advocacy: Strategic Support for the Non-Financial Spouse

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.