Interdisciplinary Introduction to Collaborative Practice and Advanced Workshop

Diana Deyo-Ryan, Esq. has been a collaborative attorney since 2001. Diana has been involved with the Collaborative Law Association of the Rochester Area since its inception, serving on the Education Committee, as a member of the Board of Directors, and as the current President. She is published in the collaborative publication “Understanding Collaborative Family Law.” Diana has been named a “Best Lawyer in America” for her work as a collaborative lawyer since 2009, and a “Best Lawyer in the Rochester Area.” Diana is an experienced speaker and trainer in the areas of family law and collaborative practice. She uses a client centered approach to help divorcing and separating couples reach the best possible outcomes with constructive negotiations. She is committed to helping clients transition with dignity and respect, through a process that is grounded in their own values.

Renee LaPoint, MS is a mediator in private practice and the owner of The Mediation Center, Inc. She is the President of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation. Her background is in the mental health field and she graduated from Syracuse University with an MS in Counseling. Renee joined CLARA, the Collaborative Law Association of the Rochester Area, in 2014 as a neutral facilitator for the collaborative process and is a member of the IACP. She currently serves on the Board for CLARA as the Education Chair and has helped develop the new “Limited Means” collaborative model that CLARA started piloting this year. The model allows access to the collaborative law process for families who may have previously not had access due to limited income. Renee enjoys working as a member of a team for conflict resolution and is committed to helping couples and families create lasting agreements.

Donna Maier, CDFA, CVA, MBA, Donna M. Maier is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, working with individuals who are faced with the issues of divided marital assets and altered cash flow due to divorce. A commercial banker for more than 20 years, her credentials include an MBA in both Finance and Marketing. She has also received her designation as a Certified Valuation Analyst, or CVA, from the NACVA to conduct closely held business valuations for clients. She has been involved in many collaborative trainings, and on a national/international level, and worked on hundreds of collaborative cases. Donna is a member of the IACP and past president and board member of the Collaborative Law Association of the Rochester Area (CLARA).

John Sobraske, LMHC, LMFT is an experienced psychotherapist with nearly twenty years in the field. His training focused on family systems, object relations, psychoanalysis and attachment, and he is an expert in adoption. His practice includes work with children and adults, couples and families, including those facing divorce. Difficult foster and adoption cases provided an introduction to the complex interaction of psychology and law. John strongly believes that the legal process can benefit from an informed psychological perspective and the application of psychotherapeutic skills to conflict. This led John to become intensively involved in Collaborative Law where he regularly works as a neutral coach and facilitator.

Kevin R. Clark, Esq., MBA is an experienced collaborative attorney who focuses his practice on matrimonial and family law. He has successfully established collaborative law as the primary focus and center of his practice. His background in business and consulting for The Gallup Organization and ten years of experience as a litigator gives him a well-rounded and unique perspective of how to initiate clients into the collaborative process, effectively work with the collaborative team while advocating for the client throughout the process.