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Tag: family law

Legal Elite 2024: Family Law/ Domestic Relations Law

Carolyn M. Abbate
Grenadier Duffett Levi Winkler & Rubin
Alexandria

Luis A. Abreu
Luis A. Abreu PLLC
Danville

Alice Ahearn
Geller Law Group
Fairfax

Debra C. Albiston
Albiston Brannon & Gilbert
Virginia Beach

Carmelou Aloupas
Aloupas Law
Chesapeake

Regina Amick
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Allison W. Anders
Chaing Anders
Virginia Beach

Carly M. Anderson
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Susan C. Armstrong
Armstrong Law Firm
Richmond

Erica Giovanni Baez
Erica Baez Law
Richmond

Nupur S. Bal
Bowen Ten Long & Bal
Richmond

Edward D. Barnes
Barnes & Diehl
Richmond

Mollie C. Barton
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Jessica Catharine Beatty
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Michael R. Bedsaul
Sands Anderson
Christiansburg

Scott Ivars Bemberis
Clifford, Bemberis & Duke
Chesterfield County

Dale Truitt Berrett
Kaufman & Canoles
Virginia Beach

Michelle A. Bieber
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Marc A. Boyko
BoykoNapier
Richmond

Jennifer A. Bradley
Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law
Arlington County

Mallory Brennan
Owen & Owens
Midlothian

Anna Bristle
Bristle Schulze
Manassas

Sarah G. Buitrago
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Cynthia Lynne Chaing
Chaing Anders
Virginia Beach

Mary B. Chamberlin
PLDR Law
Lynchburg

Peter V. Chiusano
Chiusano & Associates
Virginia Beach

Julie M. Cillo
Owen & Owens
Midlothian

David Rust Clarke
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

Mary G. Commander
Commander Law
Norfolk

Joseph A. Condo
Offit Kurman
Vienna

Deanna D. Cook
Deanna D. Cook PC
Glen Allen

James Ray Cottrell
Cottrell Fletcher & Cottrell
Alexandria

Catherine S. Croft
Farrell & Croft
Manassas

Kristina Cruz
Premier Family Law Group
Reston

Julie Hottle Day
Culin Sharp Autry & Day
Fairfax

Dawn B. DeBoer
DeBoerSouth
Richmond

David G. DeFazio
Friedman Law Firm
Chesterfield

Jessica H. Dixon
Resilience Law Group
Virginia Beach

Laura Christine Dove
Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law
Arlington County

Melissa Ann Dragone
Masterman Krogmann
McLean

Michael S. Ewing
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Kathleen Latham Farrell
Farrell & Croft
Manassas

William T. Fitzhugh
Rosen & Fitzhugh
Chesterfield

Lynn R. Fletcher
Lynn Fletcher Attorney at Law
Arlington County

Sherry A. Fox
Fox Family Formation
Ashland

Melanie A. Friend
CowanGates
Richmond

Richard E. Garriott
Garriott Maurer
Virginia Beach

Julie Gerock
Maddox & Gerock
Falls Church

Sandra Chinn Gilstrap
Chinn Gilstrap Law
Danville

David Ginsberg
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Brittany Gordon
Steidle & Gordon Attorneys at Law
Roanoke

Tashina M. Gorgone
Maddox & Gerock
Falls Church

Daniel L. Gray
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Carolyn Grimes
Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Ameet I. Habib
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Virginia C. Haizlip
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Robert L. Harris
Barnes & Diehl
Richmond

Sandra L. Havrilak
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

Lynn E. Hawkins
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Brian M. Hirsch
Hirsch & Ehlenberger
Reston

Sarah W. Houck
PLDR Law
Lynchburg

Mary C. Huff
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

Mary W. Hunt
Family Law Associates of Richmond
Richmond

Jeanine Irving
Sevila Saunders Huddleston & White
Leesburg

Kristen Konrad Johnstone
Johnstone Law
Roanoke

Brian H. Jones
Barnes & Diehl
Richmond

Naveed Kalantar
Garriott Maurer
Virginia Beach

Julia E. Keller
Keller Law Group
Virginia Beach

Taylor N. Klauza
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Shannon L. Kroeger
Family First Law Group
Alexandria

Kristen L. Kugel
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Christian M. Lapham
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Kara Lee
Lee Lopez Law
Arlington County

Harris W. Leiner
Friedman Law Firm
Chesterfield County

Jessica Leischner
Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Bretta Zimmer Lewis
Pender & Coward
Virginia Beach

Richard Lewis Locke
Locke Family Law
Richmond

Mikhail N. Lopez
Lee Lopez Law
Arlington County

Ann N. Luu
Kelly Byrnes Danker & Luu
Fairfax

Linh H. Ly
Law Office of Linh H. Ly
Fairfax

Erika E. MacCormac
Winslow, McCurry & MacCormac
Midlothian

Christopher Macturk
Evolution Divorce & Family Law
Richmond

Katharine Maddox
Maddox & Gerock
Falls Church

Reeves W. Mahoney
Mahoney Richmond Thurston
Virginia Beach

Besianne Tavss Maiden
Tavss Fletcher
Norfolk

Patrick L. Maurer
Garriott Maurer
Virginia Beach

Michael Christopher May
May Law
Fairfax

Jennifer L. McCammon
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Player B. Michelsen
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Heather Scott Miller
Sevila Saunders Huddleston & White
Leesburg

Marcus K. Mitchell
MKM Law
Virginia Beach

Lindsay Jefferies Mohler
Troxell Leigh
Leesburg

Sarah Elizabeth Morris
Morris Williams
Norfolk

Frank West Morrison
PLDR Law
Lynchburg

Jennifer Mullett
Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law
Arlington County

Christy L. Murphy
Bischoff Martingayle
Norfolk

Mary Napier
BoykoNapier
Richmond

Laurie Forbes Neff
Next Chapter Family Law and Mediation
Fairfax

Vania O’Keefe
Morris, Currin & O’Keefe
Chesapeake

Nathan J. Olson
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Mary Burkey Owens
Owen & Owens
Midlothian

Corrynn Jessica Peters
Phillips & Peters
Norfolk

Kimberly Hughes Phillips
Phillips & Peters
Norfolk

Sarah A. Piper
Hicks Crandall Juhl
Fairfax

Sonya L. Powell
Powell Radomsky
Fairfax

Kelly A. Powers
Miles & Stockbridge
Washington, D.C.

Debra Powers
Taylor Huguley Powers
Fairfax

Joy Lee Price
Caskie & Frost
Lynchburg

Dianya Pu
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Colleen Marea Quinn
Quinn Law Centers
Richmond

Cynthia Marie Radomsky
Powell Radomsky
Fairfax

Seth J. Ragosta
Flora Pettit
Charlottesville

Kimberlee Harris Ramsey
Florance Gordon Brown
Richmond

Steven L. Raynor
Raynor & Farmer
Charlottesville

Nicholas David Renninger
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Andrew T. Richmond
Mahoney Richmond Thurston
Virginia Beach

Janipher W. Robinson
Robinson & Greene Attorneys at Law
Richmond

Anne L. Roddy
Barnes & Diehl
Richmond

Brooke C. Rosen
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Rachel E. Rubinstein
Burr Law Firm
Washington, D.C.

Philip Russo
Philip L. Russo Jr. PC
Virginia Beach

Craig W. Sampson
Barnes & Diehl
Richmond

Douglas J. Sanderson
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Sean P. Schmergel
Schmergel & Mersberger
Alexandria

Jill C. Seiferth
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Jessica Sherwood
Smith Strong
Henrico County

Maria C. Simon
Geller Law Group
Fairfax

Stephanie J. Smith
Cooper Ginsberg Gray
Fairfax

Michelle Anthony Snell
Winslow, McCurry & MacCormac
Midlothian

Briana A. Stevens
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver
Harrisonburg

Andrea R. Stiles
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Wyatt Taylor
Owen & Owens
Midlothian

Nicole M. Thurston
Mahoney Richmond Thurston
Virginia Beach

Jessica N. Trotman
Mahoney Richmond Thurston
Virginia Beach

Rebecca J. Wade
Alexandria City Circuit Court
Alexandria

Richard Wexell
Wexell Milman
Fairfax

Craig E. White
Sevila Saunders Huddleston & White
Leesburg

Leslie A. Williams
Morris Williams
Norfolk

Gwen Massie Wind
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Christy J. Wood
Parks Zeigler
Virginia Beach

Larachelle “Shelly” Fularon Wood
Parks Zeigler
Chesapeake

Alexandra D. Wood
Shupert Chaing
Virginia Beach

Kristi A. Wooten
Wooten Law Group
Chesapeake

Clayton A. Worthington
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Julia Anna Yolles
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

David Zangrilli
Premier Family Law Group
Reston

Brandon H. Zeigler
Parks Zeigler
Virginia Beach

Read all of the 2024 Virginia Legal Elite here.

Legal Elite 2023: Family Law/Domestic Relations Q&A

Title: Associate

Education: Bachelor’s degree and law degree, West Virginia University

Family: Daughter of Rick and Stephanie Stevens of Cumming, Georgia; sister Hannah Stevens of Morgantown, West Virginia; and sister Tara Keller of Crozet

Career mentors: Humes “Tripp” Franklin III, managing partner of Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver; Cathy Bond Wallace, executive director of ChildLaw Services

Hobbies: After work, I usually curl up in a comfortable chair with my nose in a book. I also indulge my creative interests. I love the theater. I also enjoy drawing and painting.

First legal job: I have had the pleasure of working for Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver since I graduated from law school in 2017. I enjoy working at a firm with diverse practice areas, and I love the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues on a case. 

Bingeworthy TV show: “Ted Lasso”

When did you know you wanted to be an attorney? In the fifth grade, I was nominated by my classmates to be a “conflict mediator” for my elementary school. I successfully resolved a dispute between two students over a stolen eraser, and the rest is history. 

What do you love most about family law? Family law is an especially client-centered practice area. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my clients and their families, and I consider it a privilege to guide my clients through an emotional, stressful time in their life.

Check out the rest of the 2023 Legal Elite. 

2021 FAMILY LAW/DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW Q&A

Kristen Konrad Johnstone

Parks Zeigler PLLC, Roanoke

Title: Managing partner, Roanoke office

Other legal specialties: Criminal defense, guardian ad litem for children, elder law, DSS appeals

Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Virginia; law degree, Washington & Lee University School of Law

Spouse: Butch Johnstone

Children: Daughter Kirin, 23, and son Ian, 21

Fan of: Fleetwood Mac, Jack Russell terriers, Meryl Streep and the Dallas Cowboys

Recently read book: “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America,” by Beth Macy

Favorite vacation spot: Sanibel Island, Florida

Career mentors: Charlie Osterhoudt, Sharon Chickering

How does being a former police officer serve you as an attorney? Policing taught me so much about human nature and how to communicate with people to resolve conflict or problems, particularly when those people are under stress. I also spent lots of time in court as an officer and so learned a lot from watching cases being tried. I use what I learned from those experiences almost daily in my work as an attorney, even after 25 years.

How has the pandemic affected custody and divorce cases? The pandemic forced many families to be together in one living space for a prolonged period of time, which put great stress on relationships that may have already been frayed. The economic fallout from the pandemic also put tremendous stress on families. The end result was more domestic violence, more child abuse and neglect, and more substance and alcohol abuse — all of which led to crowded dockets in the courts.