Press Release: Bowditch Welcomes Prominent Family Law and Probate Litigation Team
Boston, Framingham, and Worcester, MA — April 29, 2024 – Bowditch & Dewey has expanded its family law and probate litigation practice, adding six partners and three associates who previously worked closely together at Burns & Levinson.
With these new attorneys, Bowditch establishes itself as one of the state’s premier firms for family law, especially for high-net-worth individuals. The move comes just weeks after the firm added a unique practice niche in its employment law group, which focuses on recruitment litigation.
“We are very excited to work with our impressive new colleagues and grow our Boston office,” said Kristin Shirahama, a Bowditch partner who will lead the firm’s newly expanded private client group of family law, estate, financial and tax planning attorneys. “The addition of these lawyers helps fulfill our strategic vision to grow our attorney headcount and deepen our talent pool.”
Seven of the nine new attorneys are women, giving the firm a new gender equity distinction. More than half of the attorneys at Bowditch are now women.
“The entire team is thrilled to join Bowditch’s welcoming and supportive culture,” said Elizabeth Crowley, family law and probate litigation partner. “The resources at Bowditch and the firm’s areas of practice are a perfect fit for us and will serve our clients well.”
Meet our new partners:
Ron Barriere
A zealous advocate in the areas of divorce, abuse prevention, child custody, parentage actions, post-divorce modification and enforcement of judgments, Barriere has extensive trial experience. As a neutral mediator and conciliator, he also helps couples amicably resolve family law issues through informed negotiation. Barriere often remains a trusted advisor to clients and their families even after resolution of their dispute.
Elizabeth Crowley
A skilled trial lawyer with an impressive track record, Crowley handles all aspects of divorce and family law. Known for her unwavering commitment to serve her clients’ goals, she is equally adept at negotiating complicated settlements and litigation. She has substantial experience representing clients with complex financial holdings. In her fiduciary and trust litigation practice, Crowley handles all aspects of probate and trust law, including will contests, trust disputes, accounting actions, guardianships, and conservatorships.
Katie Menard Dalton
Dalton focuses her practice on all aspects of domestic relations law, from premarital planning to divorce and post-divorce modification. She is effective in forging complicated settlements and is a skilled litigator when resolution is not a possibility. She often handles high-net-worth divorces and high-conflict custody disputes.
Andrea Dunbar
Dunbar has over fifteen years of experience assisting clients with high-net-worth divorce and contested custody matters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In addition, she represents clients in all aspects of probate and family court litigation in both jurisdictions. Dunbar is a skilled trial attorney as well as a superior negotiator. She assists her clients with achieving their goals through thoughtfully negotiated settlements, or litigation when necessary.
Francine Gardikas
Gardikas advocates for her clients in all forums, from the courtroom to alternative dispute resolution settings. Gardikas is skilled at negotiating agreements involving complicated financial matters and emotional custody disputes. A strong litigator, she often handles disputes that include intricate business valuations and complex assets. Gardikas is the former co-chair of the private client group at Burns & Levinson.
Robin Lynch Nardone
Consistently ranked as one of Boston’s top family law attorneys, Nardone specializes in high-net-worth divorces and high-conflict custody/parenting disputes. She has extensive experience drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, as well as litigating actions involving enforcement of these agreements. She is a seasoned litigator and trained family law mediator.
The three new associates joining the firm are Charles Hunsinger, who specializes in fiduciary litigation and family law, Catherine Spanu, who focuses on divorce, guardianship, conservatorship, and other probate litigation matters, and Emily Weber, who has more than a decade of experience in family law.
ABOUT BOWDITCH & DEWEY, LLP
Bowditch is a highly regarded law firm handling sophisticated transactions, challenging litigation and complex regulatory issues for businesses, families and institutions throughout Massachusetts, the region and beyond. With more than 70 lawyers seamlessly connected in three strategic Massachusetts offices – Boston, Framingham, and Worcester – Bowditch is deep in the areas of business and finance, real estate and environmental, litigation, employment, family law, and estate and tax planning, delivering outstanding client satisfaction and quality legal services.
