2026 AAML Annual Meeting - Loews Chicago Hotel Nov 4-7 2026

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.

View Keynote Biographies

Amy J. Amundsen

Amy J. Amundsen

Attorney, Amundsen Legal Consulting (TN)
License to Arbitrate

Amundsen advises lawyers on case strategies and office management and provides alternative dispute resolution services as a trained collaborative family lawyer, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) certified family law arbitrator, and Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 family law mediator. Amundsen is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and the AAML, co-chair of the AAML arbitration subcommittee and member of the AAML digital thought leadership committee. She serves on the executive committee of the Tennessee Bar Association's family law section. Amundsen lectures on trending legal concepts, publishes in peer-reviewed journals, and assists in legal training.

Kimberly A. Cook

Kimberly A. Cook

Partner, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck (IL)
No Time to Grieve: Behavioral Science, Addiction, and Grief in Custody Matters

Kimberly A. Cook is a Partner with Schiller DuCanto & Fleck, LLP one of the nation’s premier divorce and family law firms, where she brings a unique blend of litigation prowess and mediation expertise to every case. Over the course of her distinguished legal career, Kimberly has built a reputation for excellence, representing C-suite executives, professional athletes, entertainers, politicians, and their families in complex and high-profile matters. Recognized for her ability to both fiercely advocate and thoughtfully problem-solve, Kimberly is uniquely positioned to guide clients through litigation or help them achieve amicable resolutions through mediation. Prior to her current role with Schiller, Kimberly was the founder and principal Mediator with Dovetail Conflict Resolution, LLC, a divorce and family mediation firm, where she honed her commitment to helping families solve problems, identify creative solutions, and reach resolutions. Kimberly is also the host of the Grown Girl Divorce podcast, which offers guidance and empowerment for navigating divorce and family transitions. Kimberly's commitment to families extends beyond her legal practice. She shares her knowledge and passion as an Adjunct Law Professor, frequent speaker, and mentor, with a deep dedication to educating and uplifting her community. Her leadership has been recognized through consistent listings in Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America, as well as features in notable publications such as Crain’s Chicago, Black Enterprise, Thrive Global, and Business Insider. An active and engaged professional, Kimberly is the President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a member of the Black Women Lawyers Association, the Economic Club of Chicago, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She also serves on the Boards for LINK Unlimited and Old St. Mary’s Catholic School. In her free time, Kimberly enjoys traveling, exploring consignment and resale shops, and spending time with her family.


Dana Ehrman

Dana Ehrman, G.G.

Founder, Luxury Selling Solutions (CA)
Casino Royale: The High-Stakes World of Luxury Asset Division - What Divorce Counsel Need to Know About Valuation, Market Realities, and Disposition

Dana Ehrman, founder of Luxury Selling Solutions, is a Graduate Gemologist and 30+ year veteran of the high-end estate and antique jewelry and watch business, including 15 years as the Director of the Jewelry Department for a major international auction house. Her extensive background in buying and selling luxury personal property, along with exclusive professional contacts across the globe, led her to create a unique independent, concierge, white glove luxury selling experience. Dana specializes in helping clients sell jewelry and fine watches, fine art, silver, coins, wine and whiskey, fine pianos, fine wardrobes and handbags, Hollywood and Rock Memorabilia, even rare collectible cars and motorcycles.

Scott M. Klopert
Scott M. Klopert

Partner, Klopert & Ravden, LLP (CA)
For Your AI Only: AI Prompting, Constraints and Discovery Tradecraft

Scott Klopert is a partner at Klopert & Ravden, LLP in Encino, California. His practice is limited exclusively to family law. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1997. He has been a Certified Specialist in Family Law, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, since 2005. He received his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law. Mr. Klopert represents individuals in family law matters involving complex financial and custodial issues, including business valuations, child custody, child support, spousal support, parentage, interstate and international disputes, domestic violence, and premarital, cohabitation, and marital agreements. His practice includes substantial experience in trial work and trial advocacy, motion practice, international family law litigation, and the preparation and negotiation of agreements involving significant financial and personal interests. He approaches each matter with the goal of achieving a favorable negotiated resolution, when possible, while maintaining a strong litigation practice for cases requiring sophisticated written advocacy, contested hearings, or trial. Mr. Klopert has also served as a family law expert in various matters, providing analysis and opinions concerning California family law issues, litigation strategy, and related professional standards. Mr. Klopert is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He is a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, serves on the Executive Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Family Law Section, and serves on the Board of Directors of Levitt & Quinn. He has also served as a family law mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. He is a graduate of the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston, Texas. Mr. Klopert has been selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer each year since 2010 and was named one of the Super Lawyers Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California in 2015 and 2016. He was previously selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star between 2004 and 2007. He has also been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of its Top Family Lawyers and has been included in Doyle’s Guide listing of Leading Family, Matrimonial and Divorce Lawyers. Mr. Klopert frequently lectures before legal and professional organizations on family law topics. His presentations include The Endless Encore, Managing Post Judgment Spousal Support Modification Proceedings," presented to ACFLS in March 2026; Catch Me If You Can, A Toolkit for Effectively Handling Post Separation Accountings," presented to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in January 2026; 2023 Selected Case Updates Program," presented to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Probate and Family Law Crossover Issues," presented to the San Fernando Valley Bar Association in December 2021; Forget Beethoven! Be Michael Umlauf!" presented to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in January 2020; Family Law New Case Update," presented to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in December 2019; Advanced Issues in Child Custody: Evaluation, Litigation, and Settlement, Your Brain Will Fool You: Cognitive Bias, Implicit Bias, and De Biasing Strategies," presented to AFCC in September 2019; When Deductions Become Irrelevant to the Guidelines," presented to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in January 2019; Family Law Evidentiary Foundations," presented to the Beverly Hills Bar Association in September 2014; Family Law Hot Tips," presented to the Beverly Hills Bar Association in July 2014; and The Domestic Violence Hearing," presented to the Los Angeles County Bar Association in December 2013.

NeilKozek
Neil Kozek

Founding Partner, Kozek PLLC (NY)
License to Arbitrate: Debunking Misconceptions, Mastering High-Asset Cases, and Understanding UFLAA’s Practical Effect

Neil E. Kozek is a founding member of the firm of Kozek PLLC practicing in both suburban Westchester (White Plains) and New York City. Mr. Kozek is an experienced attorney who has litigated almost exclusively in the field of matrimonial and family law for more than thirty-eight (38) years. He is admitted in New York, Pennsylvania and the State and Federal District Courts of New Jersey and is a member of the Family Law Sections of the New York, New Jersey, Westchester County, and American Bar Associations. In 2014 Mr. Kozek was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Kozek is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML"), Board of Managers of the New York Chapter, and is an active member of the Collaborative Law and Arbitration Committees. He is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (“IAFL"). Mr. Kozek has also been a member of the Executive Committee of the Westchester County Bar Association (Family Law Section) where he served as the Program Co-Chair and coordinator for Continuing Legal Education. He was a representative to the New York Interdisciplinary Forum of Matrimonial Attorneys and Forensic Mental Health Professionals and has also served as a neutral evaluator for the New York County Matrimonial Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. Mr. Kozek is a frequent lecturer for the Westchester County, New York State, and American Bar Associations’ Family Law Sections and at CLE programs. He is a founding member of the American Academy of Certified Financial Litigators (“AACFL"). Mr. Kozek is also the Author of the Family Law Services Handbook, "Collaborative Law", Chapter 22, Wiley Publishing (2010) (Co-author Jerome Johnson, CPA). Mr. Kozek was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (“IACP"). He is also a founding member and Past President of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals (“NYACP"), where he served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for eighteen (18) years. Mr. Kozek is a trained Mediator and a former adjunct group leader for the Center for Mediation in Law. Mr. Kozek has volunteered for the Pace Women’s Justice Center Moderate Means Panel where he also served as a pro bono mentor. Mr. Kozek is a founding member of the former Association of Collaborative Lawyers of Rockland-Westchester. He has been nominated for inclusion in “Best Lawyers in America", is a lifetime charter member of Rue Ratings “Best Attorneys of America" and has been included in the New York Metro Region “Superlawyers" every year from 2007-2020 in both Matrimonial and Collaborative Law. Mr. Kozek has received the highest distinction from Martindale Hubble as an AV Peer Review Rated attorney for legal ability and ethical standards. “Leaders in the Field" has named Mr. Kozek as one of the top 17 Collaborative attorneys in the United States. Mr. Kozek was selected as a Fellow of The American Bar Association Foundation, an honor awarded to the top .33% of practicing attorneys in the United States in 2011. He has repeatedly been named one of the Top 25 Attorneys in Westchester County, New York. Mr. Kozek was formerly a partner at Stern Steiger Croland, P.C., in Paramus, New Jersey and co-chair of the Family Law Department of Hall Dickler, LLP. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1984 and is 1985 magna cum laude graduate of Rutgers University. After graduating from Temple University School of Law in 1988, Mr. Kozek served as Law Secretary to the Honorable Samuel D. Natal, Presiding Judge of the Family Part, Superior Court of New Jersey in Camden County. Mr. Kozek is a charter member of the New Jersey Family Law Inn of Court and formerly a member of the Justice Morris Pashman American Inn of Court.

David Lefkowitz
Natalie Lemos

Esq., Partner, Leinoff & Lemos, P.A. (FL)
Operation Waterfall: Follow the Carry. Break the Expert.

Natalie Lemos practices exclusively in Marital and Family Law at Leinoff & Lemos, P.A. in South Miami, Florida. Ms. Lemos became board certified in Marital and Family Law in 2002. She is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is a past President of the Florida Chapter of the AAML. She was selected as a 2022 Top 50 Lawyers in America. She has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2006 as well as Super Lawyers, South Florida's Top Lawyers and Florida Trend's Legal Elite. Ms. Lemos has been recognized by Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide since 2020 in its Band 1 tier for Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth. In 2021, 2024 and 2026 Best Lawyers named her “Lawyer of the Year” for Best Family Law Lawyers. She co-authored an article for the Family Advocate (ABA Section of Family Law) “The Perils of a Prenup: First Do No Harm to Your Client or Yourself”, Winter 2011. In 2025, she co-authored an article for the Florida Bar Journal “Prejudgment Interest: Is the Time Value of Money Overlooked in Divorce Proceedings?” In 1989, Ms. Lemos graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and began her practice in New York. In 1990, she moved to Miami, Florida where she began practicing Marital and Family Law. For over thirty years, her practice has been exclusively in Marital and Family Law. Natalie has four children and three grandchildren.

John Pappalardo
John Pappalardo

Partner, The Pappalardo Law Group PLLC. (NY)
License to Arbitrate: Debunking Misconceptions, Mastering High-Asset Cases, and Understanding UFLAA’s Practical Effect

John A. Pappalardo, Esq., Partner, has been an attorney practicing matrimonial law for forty (40) years. He is admitted in the States of New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. He is admitted in the Eastern and Southern Federal Courts of New York State. He is also admitted to practice before the Federal Courts in New Jersey and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Pappalardo was a partner in the law firm of Farber, Pappalardo and Carbonari from 1995 to 2022 before founding The Pappalardo Law Group PLLC in 2022. Mr. Pappalardo has also been consecutively selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list from 2016 through 2025. He has also been nominated by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys as 10 Best Family Law Attorney for Client Satisfaction for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Additionally, Mr. Pappalardo has been consecutively selected as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC) from 2017 through 2021. Mr. Pappalardo is a member of the mediation and collaborative law panels in Westchester County. Additionally, he has had a private matrimonial mediation practice and has acted as an attorney for children for thirty-five (35) years. He is an arbitrator and mediator for the American Arbitration Association and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Mr. Pappalardo is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, International Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Westchester County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and their relevant domestic relations and ADR subsections.

Steven Peskind
Steven Peskind

Principal Attorney, Peskind Law Firm (IL)
Reporting to M: The Bounds of Advocacy in Action

Steven Peskind is a principal at Peskind Law Firm, a family law practice in the Chicago metropolitan area. He is an elected Fellow of the ABA Foundation and of the American Law Institute. He was elected a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers in 2016. Mr. Peskind has written five books on family law and frequently speaks and writes on trial advocacy. He is a member of the Chicago Literary Club and the Abraham Lincoln Association.

Andrea Roth
Andrea Z. Roth, Ph.D, ASA

Founder and Managing Director, Roth | Escher Art Group
Casino Royale: The High-Stakes World of Luxury Asset Division - What Divorce Counsel Need to Know About Valuation, Market Realities, and Disposition

Andrea Roth leads a team of appraisers of fine art, antiques, furniture, silver, crystal and all household contents. Andrea specializes in European and American paintings, sculpture, and photography and has been in the art field for close to 30 years as an academic, gallery administrator and art appraiser. She is an Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers (the ASA). She also has a Ph.D. in Art History and taught Renaissance and Modern Art History at UC Davis, UC Riverside and Santa Clara University. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Italy as a graduate student and currently serves on the Board of Directors of St. Mary's College Art Museum. She regularly gives educational seminars on risk mitigation and legacy planning for valuable collections to Bar Associations, insurance professionals, estate planning and family law groups.

Michael A. Saini, PhD, MSW, RSW
Michael A. Saini, PhD, MSW, RSW

Professor, University of Toronto (ON)
No Time to Grieve: Behavioral Science, Addiction, and Grief in Custody Matters

Michael A. Saini is a Full Professor and the endowed Factor-Inwentash Chair in Law and Social Work at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. He is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law and serves as Co-Director of the Combined JD/MSW Program. His work focuses on access to justice in family law, with particular emphasis on dispute resolution, triage, and early differentiation as mechanisms for delivering fair, timely, and proportionate responses to family conflict. Dr. Saini’s research and applied scholarship examine how families experience justice not only through court outcomes, but through the processes they encounter at the front end of the system. He is widely recognized for advancing models that help legal and social service systems distinguish early between cases appropriate for mediation or collaborative processes and those requiring more protective, structured, or judicial responses due to family violence, coercive control, or serious parent-child relationship concerns. His work challenges adversarial default pathways and supports process-fit decision making as a core access-to-justice strategy. A central contribution of Dr. Saini’s work is the development of evidence-informed screening and decision-support tools that promote early, consistent, and ethically grounded dispute resolution pathways. These include the Parent-Child Relationship Concerns Checklist (PCRC) and the Elder Caring Conflict Checklist (ECC-28), which are designed to support triage, guide proportional intervention planning, and reduce unnecessary escalation and litigation. His broader research program spans parenting plan evaluations, parent-child contact problems, family violence, trauma-informed mediation, and the appropriate use of research evidence in legal decision-making. Dr. Saini has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, systematic reviews, and policy reports. His scholarship has been widely published in Family Court Review, where he has held editorial leadership roles and is now serving as Social Science Editor. In 2019, he received the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award from AFCC, sponsored by the Oregon Family Institute. He is also a two-time recipient of the Meyer Elkin Essay Award from the Family Court Review in 2018 and 2024. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Saini collaborates closely with courts, governments, and professional organizations to strengthen early dispute resolution infrastructure and improve access to justice for families. He regularly provides training and consultation to judges, lawyers, mediators, and mental health professionals on triage models, dispute-resolution design, and child-centered, proportionate responses to family conflict. Professor Saini is the Past President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), President of Family Mediation Canada (FMC), a Board Member of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC), an Associate Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and a member of the International Society of Family Law.

Drew Soshnick
Drew Soshnick

Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (IN) 
License to Arbitrate: Debunking Misconceptions, Mastering High-Asset Cases, and Understanding UFLAA’s Practical Effect

Drew Soshnick offers steady and effective counsel to individuals and companies facing complex financial issues in both divorce and business disputes. Drew is a trial lawyer with extensive experience representing high net worth business owners, executives, professionals, athletes, celebrities, public figures, or their spouses in divorce and other disputes involving sophisticated valuation issues. Drew co-chairs the firm's trial practice and innovation team. Drew also frequently represents companies, officers, directors and owners in high-stakes, sophisticated business valuation disputes. Drew routinely analyzes business and professional practice valuations and examines financial experts at trial. Drew is nationally recognized as a leader in family law. Drew is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization limited to the top 100 family trial lawyers in the country. Drew is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Chambers USA has ranked Drew in Band 1 in Matrimonial & Family Law in Indiana, and Best Lawyers in America recognizes him in Family Law. Drew writes, lectures, and teaches frequently on the financial topics and trial skills in divorce. He is on the editorial board of Business Valuation Resources Business Valuation Update and has authored multiple articles on business valuation, tax considerations and trial skills which have been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the American Bar Association’s Family Advocate magazine, Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide on Indiana Family Law, and numerous other publications. Drew also teaches trial skills at the National Family Law Trial Institute and for various other state and national programs. Since 1999, Drew has presented the family law update at the annual meetings of the Judicial Conference of Indiana.

Jared Tonks, CPA, ABV, CFF
Jared Tonks, CPA, ABV, CFF

Managing Director, CBIZ Forensic Consulting Group, LLC (CA)
Operation Waterfall: Follow the Carry. Break the Expert.

Jared Tonks is a Managing Director in CBIZ’s Forensic Consulting Group. He specializes in complex litigation and business valuation and has performed forensic accounting, tracing, and valuation analyses in hundreds of engagements involving marital dissolutions, shareholder or partnership disputes, and other matters. Jared regularly performs business valuations for estate, gift, and transactional purposes. He has experience preparing tax returns, performing corporate accounting, investigating fraud, and determining economic damages, including lost profits and lost wages. He has been appointed as an expert witness, has testified on numerous occasions throughout the state of California, and has been retained on matters across the western United States.

Carolyn Moran Zack
Carolyn Moran Zack

Partner, Momjian Anderer LLC (PA)
License to Arbitrate: Debunking Misconceptions, Mastering High-Asset Cases, and Understanding UFLAA’s Practical Effect

Ms. Zack is a partner with the law firm of Momjian Anderer, LLC, practicing family law in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Ms. Zack is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, co-chair of the Pennsylvania Chapter’s Programming Committee, co-chair of the national ADR Committee, and a member of the national Legislation and Test Committees. She is the former Chair of the Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the First Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section, and a past Chair of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Ms. Zack is an active member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association, and Chester County Bar Association Family Law Sections, the Doris Jonas Freed American Inn of Court, and an Interdisciplinary Group of judges, psychologists and lawyers who meet to discuss ways to improve the resolution of custody issues. She is certified as an arbitrator, mediator, and parenting coordinator. Ms. Zack served for eight years (2009-2016) as a Family Court Hearing Officer in Chester County, as well as Chief Law Clerk for the Honorable Berle M. Schiller in the Pennsylvania Superior Court (1998-1999). She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Douglass College (Rutgers University) in 1984, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in 1987. She is the author of Family Law Arbitration: Practice, Procedure, and Forms (ABA 2020).