ATKINS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Bergen County Bar Association
- Member of the Firm
Christian L. Beane has been a member of the firm since 1998 and a partner since 2005. Mr. Beane's primary concentration is in the areas of matrimonial, family law, matrimonial appellate work, residential real estate and municipal court matters. His experience in Family Law since 1994 includes all the areas such as custody, domestic violence, alimony, child support, business valuation, equitable distribution, etc. Mr. Beane has been involved in numerous matrimonial proceedings in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson Counties. Not only is Mr. Beane involved in all types of matrimonial litigation, but he also has been a matrimonial mediator since March 2008, which also enables him to assist clients in reaching an amicable resolution of their differences without the stress and cost often associated with matrimonial litigation. Mr. Beane handles both private and Court-appointed mediation.
Mr. Beane received his J.D. from Quinnipiac College School of Law in 1994 and was admitted to both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bar in that year. He is a 1989 graduate of Villanova University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Business. Following his graduation from Quinnipiac, Mr. Beane served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph J. Riva, then Judge of the Chancery Division, Family Part, Passaic County Superior Court during the 1994-1995 Court year. Following the completion of his clerkship, Mr. Beane was employed by the Law Offices of Herman Osofsky from 1995-1998 before joining the firm first as an associate, then partner in 2005.
Mr. Beane is currently a member of the Bergen County Bar Association and has been a Bergen County Early Settlement Panelist from 2001 to date. He is also a former member of Bergen/Passaic/Essex Family Law Inns of Court (1997-1998). Mr. Beane served on the District IIA Fee Arbitration Committee and was the Chair of the Committee for the 2009-2010 term.
In addition to the above, Mr. Beane was one of the Municipal Prosecutors for the Borough of Montvale from March 1998 to 2011 except for 2007.
Specializes in: Family law, matrimonial appellate work, residential real estate and municipal court
Mr. Minassian's practice focuses on commercial and residential real estate, landlord tenant, mortgage financing and land use/zoning. He also handles the purchase and sale of businesses as well as their formation. As a former municipal public defender and municipal assistant prosecutor, he handles all matters cognizable in municipal court. He also prepares Wills, trusts and administers estates.
Mr. Minassian is admitted to practice before all State and Federal Courts in New Jersey. He is a member of the Bergen County Bar Association, N.J. State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Minassian previously served as the Public Defender for the Borough of Ramsey and Assistant Municipal Prosecutor in Montvale and Rochelle Park. He is an officer and trustee for the Colleen Giblin Foundation, a non-profit which supports pediatric neurological and cancer research at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He is the co-founder and past President of the Mahwah Ice Hockey Association.
Mr. Minassian received his J.D. from Seton Hall University, School of Law (cum laude) and his B.A. from Seton Hall University (cum laude). He was the law clerk to the Honorable James J. Petrella, Superior Court of New Jersey, 1979-1980. He joined the firm in 1980.
Specializes in: Commercial and residential real estate, landlord tenant, mortgage financing and land use/zoning
Job Titles:
- Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division of Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County
Job Titles:
- Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Civil Division, Bergen County 1968 - 1969
Mr. Atkins has been practicing law for the past 49 years. He specializes in family law, including custody and relocation, criminal law, zoning and land use law and the occasional civil matter that piques his interest. Mr. Atkins has tried numerous criminal cases in the Federal and State Courts and numerous matrimonial cases in the State Courts. Mr. Atkins has frequently been appointed by the Court as a guardian for children, mediator and as a special discovery master. He is regularly selected to the Super Lawyers of New Jersey and New Jersey Monthly Magazine by his peers.
Education
Graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, Class of 1965
Mr. Atkins has been married to his wife, Sherri, for 50 years, has 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Specializes in: Family law, criminal law, zoning and land use/real estate development
Kenneth F. D'Amato received his undergraduate degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey in 1987. Mr D'Amato graduated from Stevens Institute receiving a Bachelor of Engineering degree, with a major in Mechanical Engineering and Machine Design. Upon his graduation from Stevens Institute, Mr D'Amato attended Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey. At Seton Hall, Mr. D'Amato was an associate editor of the Seton Hall Law Review. Mr. D'Amato received his Juris Doctor Degree in 1990, Magna Cum Laude, achieving a class rank of 5 out of 410 graduating law students.
After graduating from Seton Hall University School of Law, Mr. D'Amato served as law secretary to the Honorable Arthur J. Lesemann, Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, General Equity Part, Bergen County, New Jersey.
Since 1991, Mr. D'Amato has devoted much of his practice to the representation of victims injured through the negligent acts of others - including automobile collisions, fall down accidents from dangerous conditions of property such as snow, ice and improper design, defectively designed or manufactured machines, unguarded nip points, and negligent medical and surgical treatment. Mr. D'Amato has achieved numerous six and seven-figure verdicts and settlements in the courts of Northern New Jersey.
Mr. D'Amato is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey. He has served as barrister in the Justice Robert L. Clifford American Inn of Courts, and a member investigator of the District XI Ethics Committee.
Robert J. Tafuri was admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey on December 18, 1980. He clerked for the Honorable Conrad W. Krafte, J.S.C., in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Family Part, Bergen County, for the term of September 1980 through August 1981. He was thereafter employed as an Associate in the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Shrerer & Hyland. During that period of time, he worked primarily in the area of Family Law.
In September 1982, he began employment at the firm of Draesel, Sunshine & Atkins as an associate. In 1985, he became partner in the firm Conte, Lippert & Tafuri. In 1986 he returned as a partner to the law firm Draesel, Sunshine, Atkins, Minassian, & Tafuri where he has remained a partner since that time.
He has served in the New Jersey Supreme Court Ethics Committee for the Northern District of Bergen County for four years. In his third year, he was the Vice-Chairman of the District Ethics Committee. During the following year, he served as Chairman of the Norther District of the Bergen County Ethics Division.
He is a member of the Bergen County Bar Association, the New Jersey Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He has served as Chairperson of the Family Law section of the Bergen County Bar Association at various different points during his career. He was the Chairperson of the Early Settlement Panel program for the Bergen County Bar Family Law section for a number of years.
Currently, the majority of his practice is in the Family Law area. In the nearly 30 years, he has practiced, he has an extensive experience in any area relating to Family Law, including, but not limited to all aspects of divorce, custody, preparation of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. He also has an extensive trial, mediation and arbitration practice.
One of the basic elements of his approach to the practice of law is to advise all of his clients the same way he would if they were a family member. His approach to representation of a client varies dramatically from case to case, consistent with what he believes (based on his experience) are the needs of the client in that particular case. He does not believe in adopting a "cookie cutter" philosophy to the practice. He also uses the other members of the firm as resources on many cases.
Shannon V. Lacey was admitted to practice law on November 1, 2019. She received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School, graduating with a Criminal Law and Procedure Certificate. At Rutgers, Shannon had the opportunity to take the Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic where she represented criminal defendants in the Special Remand Court in the Essex County Courthouse. She also represented incarcerated youth in their appeals processes. Shannon was also on the Rutgers Race and the Law journal, where she served as Senior Managing Editor and was chosen to have her journal note published.
Shannon had a unique clerkship with the Honorable James J. Guida, J.S.C. at the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County for the 2019-2020 term. Her clerkship began in the Criminal Division, but then transferred to the Family Division, so Shannon has had the opportunity to be both a criminal law clerk and a family law clerk.
Shannon has been working for Atkins, Tafuri, Minassian, D'Amato, Beane & Miller, P.A. since September 2020.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the New Jersey
Ms. Miller has extensive experience and practices exclusively in the areas of matrimonial and family law, including divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, alimony, equitable distribution, including complex property distribution issues which arise in high-asset divorce cases, issues relating to out of country assets, LGBT issues, post-judgment and enforcement issues and pre and post nuptial agreements.
Ms. Miller received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University and earned her juris doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
Ms. Miller is a member of the New Jersey and Louisiana Bars, the New Jersey State Bar Association - Family Law section and LGBT sections; Bergen County Bar Association; and Louisiana State Bar Association.
Ms. Miller has the following reported appellate decisions:
Schmitt v. Schmitt, 28 So. 3d 537 (La. 4th Cir. 2009)
Mathis v. Mathis, 964 So. 2d 426 (La. 4th Cir. 2007)
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate With
- Member of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association
Stephen is an Associate with Atkins Tafuri whose practice specializes exclusively in matrimonial and family law, specifically in the areas of divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, alimony, equitable distribution and domestic violence. Stephen has years of extensive experience handling complex and high-net-worth divorce matters, contentious custody disputes and post-divorce matters such as cohabitation, relocation, modification of support and modification of custody and parenting time.
Stephen prides himself on taking a personal and individualized approach to each and every case, recognizing that no two clients, nor cases, are the same. Stephen values the importance of being available to and communicative with his clients, all of whom have his cell phone and access to him 24/7. Stephen is a creative strategic and a fierce advocate for his clients. He endeavors to help clients resolve their differences amicably and efficiently through alternative dispute resolution (e.g., mediation), oftentimes with "outside of the box" solutions specifically tailored to a client's circumstances and needs. At the same time, Stephen is a meticulous planner and passionate litigator who prepares all of his clients for the rigors and nuances of litigation, which is oftentimes necessary.
Stephen was born and raised in Bergen County where he presently resides with his significant other and their Cavapoo, JoJo, for whom no expense or luxury is ever spared. When he is not at the office, Stephen can be found playing pickleball, spending time with friends and family, or demonstrating his unwavering devotion to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia 76ers, Tennessee Titans and Maryland Terrapins.
Prior to joining Atkins Tafuri, Stephen clerked for the Honorable Terry Paul Bottinelli, J.S.C. at the Bergen County Superior Court for the 2017-2018 judicial term. Thereafter, Stephen commenced his private practice and honed his litigation skills as an Associate with the law firms of Budd Larner, PC (Short Hills), Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, PC (West Orange) and Ziegler Law Group, LLC (Livingston).
Stephen is a member of the Family Law section of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Family Law section of the American Bar Association, the Family Law section of the Bergen County Bar Association and the Barry Croland Family Law Inn of Court.