CNY Collaborative Family Law ProfessionalsDedicated to settlement of family disputes out of court
…with integrity and dignity.

Professional Bio

Practice

Dan is a Collaborative Practice attorney devoted to out-of-court solutions for families as they transition to living apart. The priorities of his services are working with couples in crisis and coordinating with allied professionals genuinely committed to the ideals of Collaborative Law. Dan's patient, empathic, and cooperative approach allows clients to discover and implement their best choices for successful two-way decisions.

After over two decades of litigating and settling literally hundreds of contested divorce and domestic relations cases, Dan has become an enlightened and enthusiastic proponent of Collaborative Practice. As a charter Board member of the only Syracuse-area collaborative organization and an experienced matrimonial lawyer, Dan suggests collaboration as often the best settlement structure to create life-long resolutions for divorcing and separating families.

Additionally, Dan practices in the areas of residential real estate, estate planning and administration, and small business organization, primarily as ancillary services to his family law clientele. He was formerly a name partner in the recognized labor relations office of Boyle, Wittenburg & Cantone.

Professional and Community Involvement

Dan is Vice President of the CNY Collaborative Family Law Professionals and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. He is a board member of a not-for-profit chartered school, a volunteer chair of many fine arts events, and an active participant in religious and community functions through the Cathedral of the Syracuse Diocese. Dan is a member of the American, New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations, the American Association for Paralegal Education, the Catholic Lawyers Guild, the Legal Writing Institute, and the Greater Camillus Chamber of Commerce. He is Examining Counsel for Ticor and First American Title companies, a pro bono arbitrator for the Syracuse City Court, and a trained member of the NYS Surrogate Decision-Making Committee.

As a popular CLE presenter, Dan lectures regionally and nationally on family law and paralegal education topics to lawyers, business groups, academic institutions, and mental health professionals. An Adjunct Professor of undergraduate Legal Studies at Syracuse University since 1985, he teaches both introductory and upper-level paraprofessional courses. Dan received the 2005 Excellence in Teaching Award from Syracuse University and is a University Academic Integrity Representative.

Recent Publications and Presentations

• New York Divorce Law Guide from A to Z (2008)
• Preventing Critical Financial Mistakes During Divorces (2007, 2008)
• Ethics in Collaborative Law 101 (2008)
• Collaborative Family Law: Out-of-Court Alternatives in Representation of Children (2008)
• An Introduction to Collaborative Practice for Allied Professionals (2007)
• Marketing, Momentum and Money: Family Law Representation for Small Firm Practitioners (2006, 2007)

Education

• J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, 1981
• B.A., Syracuse University, cum laude, 1978

Admissions

• New York
• Federal District Court, Northern New York
• 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court