CHARNY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- SENIOR ASSOCIATE
- Education
Erika L. Goldberg joined Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A. in the fall of 2008 after a one-year law clerkship for the Honorable Eugene J. McCaffrey, Jr., Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Gloucester County, Chancery Division, Family Part.
Erika has been practicing family law exclusively since 2008 and has valuable experience that enables her to provide assertive representation for all types of clients. Her family law practice focuses on all areas of divorce and family law, such as matters involving custody and child support, alimony, equitable distribution, college contributions, prenuptial agreements, post-judgment applications, adoptions and domestic violence.
As a practicing attorney, Erika seeks to be very active in the professional community and serves as a Matrimonial Early Settlement Panelist in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties. She is currently a member of the Camden County and Gloucester County Bar Associations as well as a Master in the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law Inns of Court where she serves as co-chair of its Programming Committee.
Erika is also committed to volunteering her time in her community, participating in the Alice Paul Institute mentoring program, as well as providing pro bono services through the South Jersey Legal Services. Most recently, she has been named Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Development Advisory Board of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA and looks forward to continuing the phenomenal work of the Y throughout its communities.
An avid athlete and sports fan, Erika received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh where she was a member of the university's gymnastics team for four years. She was team captain from 2002-2004 and varsity letter winner in 2001-2004. Erika made the Dean's List in 2003 and was a Scholar-Athlete 2002-2004. While in law school, she was a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Association.
Erika remains committed to supporting her alma mater as part of its "Panthers to Pros" program, which matches current student athletes with former student athletes to help mentor them as they prepare for the professional world. As a mentor, she acts as a valuable and inspiring resource while helping facilitate career and personal achievements.
Born and raised in South Jersey, Erika currently resides in Camden County, New Jersey with her husband and children.
Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A. is a "boutique" divorce and family law firm located in South Jersey. Our team of highly-recognized attorneys concentrates their practices in all aspects of matrimonial law.
JoAnne I. O'Connor, joined Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A. in October 2022 having spent the first 15 years of her legal career practicing residential and commercial real estate, estate litigation and municipal work. She brings to the firm extensive knowledge in these areas of law and leads its real estate and probate divisions expanding the legal services offered by the firm. to its new and existing clients. As of counsel, JoAnne still represents several of her real estate and municipal clients and she is assisting the attorneys at the firm on family law matters.
Prior to joining the firm, JoAnne was an associate with the Law Office of Peter Lange in Medford, New Jersey, where she concentrated her practice in real estate and representing various townships and planning, zoning and rent control boards throughout South Jersey. She began her practice at the law firm of Delany & O'Brien where her focus was asbestos defense work.
JoAnne is a graduate of Rutgers University - New Brunswick and Rutgers School of Law - Camden. Upon graduation from law school, she clerked for the Honorable Rudolph J. Rossetti in the Superior Court, Camden County.
A longtime member of the community, JoAnne has been a South Jersey resident for more than 30 years and raised her three children here. When not providing legal advice to clients or sharing counsel with colleagues, she enjoys the beach, sports, music and her fur babies.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Partner at Charny Karpousis Altieri & Donoian
Karen Rose Karpousis is a partner at Charny Karpousis Altieri & Donoian, P.A. who has practiced family law exclusively since 1992. Her knowledge and expertise in the courtroom began during her clerkship with the Honorable Isaiah Steinberg, Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County.
Ms. Karpousis is a sought after speaker and panelist. She has lectured at seminars for the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education on family law issues, such as equitable distribution, and also for the American Trial Lawyers Association. In addition, she was a speaker on the topic of "Alimony & Child Support" as part of a Panel co-sponsored by the Camden and Burlington County Bar Associations and a guest lecturer for a Burlington County College sociology class offered at McGuire Air Force Base. Ms. Karpousis has appeared as a panelist on the "Legal Line" television show produced by the Camden County Bar Association and has volunteered for the Rutgers University (Camden) Pro Bono Domestic Violence and Law School Mentoring Programs. She currently serves as a Matrimonial Early Settlement Panelist in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties and is a Master member of the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law Inns of Court, whose mission is to foster excellence and professionalism, exemplary ethics and legal skills for judges and lawyers.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR ASSOCIATE
- Education
Melissa R. Knoerzer, Esq. joined Charny, Karpousis, Altieri and Donoian, P.A. in December 2022 and after a decade of practicing civil, commercial and estate litigation, she shifted her focus to all aspects of family law since 2014. It was and remains an area in which her compassion and commitment could make to make a true difference in clients' lives. This has proven true in matters that include divorce, custody disputes, child support, adoptions, equitable distribution, alimony and domestic violence. Over the years, Ms. Knoerzer has also expanded her expertise in the area of families with special needs children and the unique nature of these relationships. She is also experienced in estate litigation and the legal needs for small privately owned businesses, adding to her skilled representation in complex family law cases.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Knoerzer was an associate with Adinolfi, Lieberman, Burick, Roberto & Molotsky, P.A. and other practices in South Jersey and Philadelphia. The New Jersey native attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick for her undergraduate studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with honors, including participation in the Henry Rutgers Honors Program and completing a Henry Rutgers Thesis. She continued her education at Rutgers Law School in Camden, receiving a Dean's Merit Scholarship and the Pro Bono Award for Significant Service for her volunteer work with various organizations.
Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Knoerzer clerked for the Honorable Ronald E. Bookbinder, A.J.S.C. (ret.), in the Chancery Division of Burlington County. Today she is a member of the Camden County Bar Association and admitted to practice in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as the U.S. District Courts for the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Community is an important part of Ms. Knoerzer's life, including her personal efforts as president of the Van Sciver PTA and member and former scholarship chair of the Haddon Township Zone PTA. An animal advocate, she is a former member of the Haddon Township Backyard Chicken Advisory Board and supports other animal welfare organizations throughout South Jersey. Ms. Knoerzer's currently resides in in Haddon Township with her husband and two sons. When not at work representing other families, her interests include anything involving her own. She also enjoys time spent outdoors, traveling, cooking and music.
Michelle Altieri concentrates her practice in divorce and family law and has focused in this area for more than fifteen years. Her client representation involves diverse issues, including divorce, child custody, spousal and child support, property settlement agreements, prenuptial agreements, domestic violence, and adoption. She is experienced with all phases of divorce litigation and settlement negotiations, mediations and arbitrations.
Over the years, Ms. Altieri has handled numerous family law cases in South Jersey involving substantial marital estates and worked closely with forensic accountants and other financial and professional experts in divorce cases involving complex asset valuation and income analysis. Her clients have included more than traditional spouses. Ms. Altieri represents stepparents, foster parents, and same-sex partners in adoption proceedings.
Although she now concentrates her practice in divorce and family law, Ms. Altieri is experienced in commercial litigation. She has represented clients in South Jersey cases involving contractual disputes, collections, personal injury, and New Jersey's Conscientious Employee Protection Act. Ms. Altieri is a member of the New Jersey State and Camden County Bar Associations. She serves on the Family Law Section Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. In addition, she is a Barrister in the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law Inns of Court, serving programming chair. She is also a Matrimonial Early Settlement Panelist in Burlington and Gloucester Counties.
Ms. Altieri is also committed to helping those less fortunate and has handled numerous pro bono matters since her admission to the bar. In 2007, she received the Edwin P. Rome Pro Bono Achievement Award in recognition of the many pro bono clients she has represented and for her commitment to pro bono service.
During law school, Michelle Altieri was a member of the Widener Law Review and the research editor of its executive board. She was a recipient of the Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellowship - an academic achievement award given to only five law students each year. In connection with the Fellowship, Ms. Altieri served as a part time judicial law clerk to the Honorable Maurice Hartnett of the Delaware Supreme Court.
Michelle Altieri began practicing law in 2000 when she joined the Blank Rome Law Firm, following a one-year judicial law clerkship with the Honorable Robert E. Francis, Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Gloucester County, Chancery Division, General Equity Part. She joined Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A. in September 2012, becoming a Partner just one year later - in September 2013.
Born and raised in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Ms. Altieri is married with two young children.
Nicole Donoian-Pody has 22 years of experience in all aspects of family and matrimonial law, including alimony, child support, child custody, parenting time, grandparent's rights, division of assets and prenuptial agreements. A particular focus of her practice includes complex divorce matters involving unique issues, substantial marital estates and business valuations. Additionally, Ms. Donoian-Pody represents LGBT clients in family law matters. Ms. Donoian-Pody is an experienced litigator providing assertive legal representation to her family law clients. Ms. Donoian-Pody understands the highly stressful nature of matrimonial matters. She is timely in responding to clients and believes that her clients must always understand the legal and practical issues they face in their family law matters. With Ms. Donoian-Pody as your attorney your matter will be given the personal attention it deserves.
Ms. Donoian-Pody enjoys using her 22 years of family law experience to help others. As an experienced family law practitioner and mediator, Ms. Donoian-Pody enjoys serving couples who want to take advantage of alternative dispute resolution and avoid the financial and emotional toll of litigation. She is an experienced mediator having resolved matters ranging from those with simple legal issues to complex legal and high asset cases. She also enjoys working as a Guardian Ad Litem in family law cases.
Ms. Donoian-Pody is a former law clerk to the Honorable Louise D. Donaldson, Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, Chancery Division, Family Part. She is also a former shareholder with Flaster/Greenberg, P.C., where she represented clients in matrimonial matters and in estate litigation. She joined Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A. as a partner in September 2013.
A popular speaker and published legal author, Ms. Donoian-Pody has frequently moderated and presented at Camden County Bar Association seminars and legal and business forums on topics related to divorce, family law and fee arbitration. Several of her articles have appeared in the New Jersey Law Journal, including "Benefits and Pitfalls of the Domestic Partnership Act," and "Sorting Out Premarital Assets." In addition, at the 2008 orientation seminar for new and rotated Family Part judges of New Jersey Superior Court, she presented "Overview of Dissolution and Overview of Enforcement of Litigants' Rights, Modification of Support and Other Orders."
She is a member of the Family Law Committees of both the Burlington and Camden County Bar Associations and is affiliated with the New Jersey State Bar Association. She was a Master with the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law American Inn of Court. Ms. Donoian-Pody just finished her third, four year term on the District IV Fee Arbitration Panel where she served as the Chairperson of her Committee. Ms. Donoian-Pody volunteers for the Camden County Family Court Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel program working with attorneys to settle matrimonial cases. She is admitted to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the Supreme Court Of Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Donoian-Pody is passionate about donating her time to charitable causes and giving back to the community. She volunteers for South Jersey Legal Services, a non-profit organization created to provide quality legal representation and advocacy to low-income individuals in South Jersey. Ms. Donoian-Pody also focuses her energies on The Food Bank of South Jersey and the Ronald McDonald House Southern New Jersey, where she arranges for firm members to make breakfast at the house during the year and proudly served on the planning committee for its 35th Annual Gala.