Valentina Shaknes
Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri LLP
Recognized since 2022
New York, New York
Practice Areas
Family Law
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.
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.
Contact & Links
- Lawyer Page: https://www.kstmlaw.com/valentina-shaknes/
Location
- 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 7620
New York, NY 10118
Education
- Brooklyn Law School, J.D., graduated 2007
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, B.A., graduated 1999
Bar Admissions
- New York, New York State
Affiliations
- New York City Bar Association - Matrimonial Law Committee
- New York County Lawyers Association - Matrimonial Law Section
- New York State Bar Association - Family Law Section and Children’s Rights Committee
- Women’s Bar Association - Family Law Committee
Court Admissions
- New York
- Connecticut
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
Headquarters:
New York, New York
3 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
3 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards
![Best Law Firms Best Law Firms Badge](https://cdn.blrankings.com/best-lawyers/badge-images/national-small-generic-us.png)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
- Family Law
Awards:
- Chambers Family/Matrimonial Law: High Net Worth in New York (2022-2024)
- Distinguished Leader, New York Law Journal (2020)
Notable Woman in Law, Crain’s New York Business (2022)
- Elite Boutique Trailblazer, The National Law Journal (2020)
Divorce, Trusts & Estates Trailblazer, The National Law Journal (2017)
- New York Super Lawyer in Family Law (2020-2023)
- Outstanding Young Lawyer, The New York Times (2014-2019)
- New York Super Lawyer Rising Star in Family Law (2014-2019)
Publications
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