MCCRACKEN KUHN MARKS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Partner

Demi Marks is the newest partner at McCracken Kuhn Marks PLLC. She is passionate about family law and prides herself on her peacemaking approach, accessibility, efficiency, and empathy. She works in close conjunction with all the firm's clients as their point of contact throughout their matter and beyond. Demi specializes in divorce, pre- and post-marital agreements, estate planning, and child custody. She is a Rule 31 Mediator and collaboratively trained attorney, both alternative dispute resolution methods she is very dedicated to. Demi serves as a board member for Collaborative Divorce Nashville and the co-chair of the Nashville Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. Demi believes in using creativity and customization to tailor every matter to the individual and particularly to help families redefine their relationships in a respectful and harmonious manner. She endeavors to keep people out of Court as she understands how stressful that can be, but is a devoted advocate for her clients regardless of their unique pathway to dissolution. Demi is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee, California, and American Bar Associations and is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and California. Prior to moving to Nashville, Demi worked at a boutique family law office in Beverly Hills, California. She handled a variety of complex litigation cases involving high net worth individuals, from post-judgment enforcements of qualified domestic orders to child and animal custody cases. Demi also has an entertainment law background, having worked at Amazon, NBCUniversal, and Sony in various capacities during her time in Los Angeles. While attending UCLA School of Law, she was the President of the Entertainment Law Society, Chief Articles Editor for the Entertainment Law Review, and Submissions Editor for the Journal of Law and Technology. Demi studied with the esteemed collaborative law professional, Forrest "Woody" Mosten. She soon realized her passion for family law and, through Woody's mentorship, developed skills in mediation, collaborative law, unbundled legal services, and hybrid solutions to tricky family law situations. After graduation, Demi worked with Woody as a research assistant on his book Unbundled Legal Services: A Family Lawyer's Guide. She volunteers regularly in Woody's mediation training courses as a coach and mentor to professionals around the world. When Demi is not at work, she can typically be found exploring Nashville with her daughter, Ryder, and her husband, Lorne. She enjoys hiking with her two pups, Riggins and Wild, riding horses, and traveling the globe. She is a passionate advocate for animals, LGBTQ+ rights, and mentorship. She serves as a volunteer interviewer for her alma matter, Tufts University, is involved with the Temple community, and spearheads the firm's clerkship and mentorship programs.

Job Titles:

• Counsel
• Leader
• Founding Member of the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators
• Member of the International Academy of Collaborative

Irwin Kuhn takes a caring approach to helping guide people through family law matters efficiently and without adding unnecessary conflict. Divorce can be one of the most stressful life events so how people get divorced matters. The choice can have long-lasting effects on themselves and their families. Irwin approaches divorce more as a set of problems to be resolved not as a battle to be won. He works on family law matters both as an advocate for individual clients and as a mediator for divorcing couples. Irwin Kuhn helps counsel and guide his clients- ranging from those with modest means to very high net worth entertainers and business executives- through divorce with an eye on achieving an equitable settlement in a respectful and efficient process. Irwin recognizes that divorce should be more of a business transaction than a war. A peaceful approach to divorce does not mean that a lawyer cannot be a strong advocate for his or her client. It does mean spending enough time with clients focused on discovering their interests and goals for their life ahead and helping them achieve them. Irwin is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards. Martindale-Hubbell is the most prestigious legal rating organization, which bases its rating on the anonymous opinions of other attorneys and judges. Irwin brings over 30 years of wide-ranging legal and mediation experience to McCracken Kuhn Marks PLLC in Nashville. While his primary focus now is on handling family law cases, including divorce and pre-marriage and post-divorce matters. His past experience handling small business litigation is helpful in understanding financial issues often at the core of family law matters. Irwin is a leader in national, state, and local collaborative organizations. He appeared before the Tennessee Supreme Court to successfully advocate for the adoption of the court's Collaborative Family Law rules. He currently serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association Collaborative Law Committee. He is a founding member and past president of the Middle Tennessee Collaborative Alliance. Irwin has taught continuing legal education courses for the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations and presented at collaborative law trainings. Irwin is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and serves on the Access to Collaboration Committee that focuses on new and streamlined approaches to collaborative practice. Irwin has spoken about collaborative practice to groups of lawyers, financial professionals and mental health professionals in Nashville and Memphis. His articles on collaborative family law have appeared in the Nashville Bar Journal and the Nashville Tennessean. Mediation is another important focus for Irwin's practice. He was first certified as a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 mediator in January of 1998 in general civil cases. In 1999, he received additional certification in family law cases. In 2018, Irwin presented to the spring meeting of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association on Choosing Dispute Resolution to Fit Your Client's Needs. Irwin also helps people with prenuptial agreements before their marriages, and reconciliation and postnuptial agreements after their marriages. He has led multiple continuing legal education courses on those topics for the Nashville Bar Association. Irwin Kuhn received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in political science and history. Irwin received his law degree from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in New York and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1984. Irwin worked as a legislative assistant and speechwriter for Senator Jim Sasser in Washington, D.C. where he focused on legal matters before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Shortly after returning to Tennessee, Irwin served as a law clerk to Justice William J. Harbison on the Tennessee Supreme Court. Irwin is a Founding Member of the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators and is a member of the American, Tennessee, and Nashville Bar Associations. He is a recent member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Nashville Bar and served as First Vice-President. Irwin is a Fellow of the honorary Nashville Bar Foundation. He is a member of several sections of the three bar associations, including the family law and alternative dispute resolution sections of each. Irwin is past President of PEACE, an organization combating domestic violence. He is also a former President of the Nashville Ballet, and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission. Irwin is a former member of the Board of Trustees and the Executives Committees of University School of Nashville and the Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom. Irwin served on the transition team for Nashville's Mayor Karl Dean. Irwin and his wife Diane have three adult children.

Joanna L. McCracken is a collaborative divorce professional, a Rule 31 mediator, and an experienced litigator. As a family law attorney, Joanna strives to guide her clients through their toughest life experiences with education, advocacy, and compassion, utilizing her versatile skill set to create solutions that deliver long-term benefits protecting her clients' best interests and futures. Joanna's dedication to her practice and clients has earned her the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys' 10 Best for Client Satisfaction Award many years in a row. She has consistently been ranked in the Top Ten by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, has been named a Mid-South Rising Star by Superlawyer magazine multiple times, and is recognized by the American Jurist Institute as a Top Ten Family Law Attorney for Tennessee. Joanna is an active member of the American, Tennessee, and Nashville Bar Associations, and is one of a core group of attorneys in the Middle Tennessee Collaborative Alliance, an organization that promotes the use of the more harmonious, supportive, and structured collaborative divorce process, in lieu of litigation. In addition to her legal accolades, Joanna is a meditation and yoga teacher. She uses the skills learned in these disciplines to educate the legal community on how to better handle occupational stress and how to use such skills to better serve clients. Joanna teaches Continuing Legal Education and gives talks at law schools, legal conferences, and for various professional organizations. Joanna serves on the Tennessee Bar Association's Wellbeing Committee and on the Board of the Mindfulness in Law Society, working in conjunction with Bar associations and legal organizations around the nation to improve the working lives of lawyers. Prior to forming her own firm, Joanna worked as a litigator at a large regional law firm where she honed her skills in a broad range of practice areas including family law, medical malpractice, professional liability, real estate, and entertainment law. However, it was her own experience with divorce that prompted Joanna to build a dedicated family law practice. As a single parent with two small children, Joanna faced many challenges as she rebuilt her future, leaving her with a great appreciation for the difficulties of transitioning to a new life and a deep sense of empathy for her clients. Joanna and her colleagues envisioned and created a family law firm that would truly seek to determine each client's personal goals and priorities, to provide the resources and options to ensure custom-handling of each client's case, and to give clients a home where they could feel confident and cared for. Joanna originally hails from London, England. You might notice the accent! She attended London University's School of Oriental and African Studies where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in African Studies, majoring in the Swahili language. Joanna moved to Nashville in 2002 while working in the music business. She enjoyed success as a music publishing manager and copyright administrator on Music Row for Tom Collins Productions. Joanna also pursued her love of real estate by working toward, and obtaining, a broker's license. Joanna's background in music and real estate has uniquely positioned her to advise family law clients regarding real and intellectual property issues that need to be addressed during divorce, for prenuptial agreements, estate planning matters, and other family law situations. After ten years of raising her daughters as a single parent, Joanna is happily remarried. She and her husband, Ryan, have four amazing children between them. Joanna and Ryan now share a great appreciation for the role stepparents can play in a blended family. Together, they enjoy pursuing outdoor adventures, exploring new places and experiences, and making family meals. Joanna's various familial experiences have taught her that, while life is unpredictable, support and care can be found in all situations. Joanna aims to be an integral part of a support system for her clients through their family law matters and beyond.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Attorney
• Services / Divorce & Post - Divorce Enforcement

Melanie Rosen is an associate attorney at McCracken Kuhn Marks PLLC. She specializes in litigation for cases such as divorce, pre- and post-marital agreements, modifications, and child custody. Melanie is not a native to Tennessee. She is originally from the Northeast and grew up in Rhode Island. She attended the University of New Hampshire where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Justice Studies, as well as a Master's in Justice Studies. Melanie's interest in family law began during her Master's program, when she wrote a thesis on the Hague Convention and International Child Abduction. Upon entering law school, Melanie knew she wanted to pursue a career in family law. Melanie attended Suffolk University Law School. While at Suffolk, Melanie was a Content Editor of the Journal of High Technology Law, and an SCJ Rule 3:03 Certified Student Attorney on the Family Advocacy Clinic, where she represented low-income clients. Melanie also spent her first summer in law school as a judicial intern for the Honorable Stephen M. Limon in the Juvenile Court. After graduating, Melanie began her legal career in Boston, Massachusetts, at a full-service law firm. She worked predominantly in family law, helping clients ranging from divorce, custody, paternity, and international child abduction. Melanie is very acquainted with divorce and the effect it has on a person because she has been through it herself. From going through her own divorce, Melanie focuses on connecting with clients to make sure they feel heard and understood. Divorce is not something to be ashamed of but an opportunity to find your second chance at happiness. Melanie lives in Nashville with her boyfriend, Connor, and their dog, Walter. In their free time, they enjoy exploring all that Nashville has to offer, as well as traveling to visit friends and family.