Valentina Shaknes

Valentina Shaknes is a founding partner at KSTM. For nearly 20 years, she has practiced exclusively in 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.

Consistently ranked by Chambers High Net Worth as a top lawyer for Family/Matrimonial Law in New York, clients and peers have described Valentina as “extremely practical and tenacious but also very solution-oriented.” 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.

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.