Valentina Shaknes

Practice Areas

Valentina Shaknes is a founding partner at KSTM. For nearly 20 years, she has practiced matrimonial and family law. Valentina represents clients in a wide variety of complex matrimonial matters involving equitable distribution and custody disputes, child and spousal support, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, as well as international child custody and international child abduction disputes, including proceedings arising under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Valentina is an active certified divorce mediator and a certified parent coordinator. She firmly believes that settlement-based approach is the best path for most families. Whenever possible, Valentina seeks alternatives to litigation and advocates for her clients in securing out-of-court resolutions through mediation, collaborative law, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Valentina is described by clients to Chambers High Net Worth as “far and above the best matrimonial lawyer I have ever worked with. … brilliant, warm and hard-working,” “very thoughtful and creative in her approach.” Valentina is a frequent expert source for the media on topics related to matrimonial and family law, and she has also written extensively on proceedings under the Hague Convention.

Career

Among other honors, Valentina has been recognized as a Notable Woman in Law (Crain’s New York Business), an Elite Boutique Trailblazer (The National Law Journal), a Best Lawyer for Family Law, a New York Super Lawyer, a Distinguished Leader (New York Law Journal), an Outstanding Young Lawyer (The New York Times) and a Divorce, Trust & Estates Trailblazer (The National Law Journal).

Before co-founding KSTM, Valentina served as co-chair of the matrimonial practice at McLaughlin & Stern LLP. After graduating from law school, she was an associate in the matrimonial department of Blank Rome LLP, where she worked with the other three founding partners of KSTM.

Valentina is a member of the FiLiA Hague Mothers’ International Strategy Group, Sanctuary for Families’ Legal Advisory Council, the New York City Bar Association’s Matrimonial Law Committee, the New York County Lawyers Association’s Matrimonial Law Section, the New York State Bar Association’s Family Law Section and the Children’s Rights Committee, and the Women’s Bar Association’s Family Law Committee.

Valentina graduated cum laude from Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 2007), where she served as the associate managing editor of the Journal for Law and Policy. During law school, she earned first place in the Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition. She graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University (B.A., 1999).