ATTORNEY & PARALEGAL PROFILES

 
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Dennis M. Wasser

Mr. Wasser is the founding member and CEO of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. He has been practicing family law since 1968 and has represented wealthy, high-profile business owners (several individuals on “Forbes 400”), corporate executives, professional athletes, lawyers, doctors, accountants, actors, motion picture and TV executives and the spouses of such individuals. He has achieved success in and out of the courtroom and is recognized as one of the leading Family Law attorneys in the United States.
Complete Bio

University:

University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., with honors, 1964

Law School:

University of Southern California, J.D., 1967, with Highest Honors, Order of the Coif, Note and Comment Editor, S.C. Law Review

Laura A. Wasser

Laura Wasser is an American attorney specializing in California Family Law.  She was born in Los Angeles.  She attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a law degree from Loyola Law School.  She has two young sons and resides in Malibu, California.

Laura has been named one of the California Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers and Southern California’s Top 50 Women Attorneys every year for the last 10 years (2012-2022).  In June 2008, Laura received the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law Zephyr M. Ramsey Award.  In 2011, she was the recipient of the Century City Chamber of Commerce Women of Achievement Award. In 2013 St. Martin's Press published and released Laura’s book “It Doesn't Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself.” Laura received the Brady Center Advocate Award and was honored by A Place Called Home at their 2016 Gala For The Children. In 2019 Laura received the Justice award from the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice.

Laura participates in many continuing education programs as a lecturer and panelist.  She has been a guest lecturer at Loyola Law School, New York University Law School, Southwestern Law School, UCLA, and UC Berkeley School of Law. 

Laura serves on the Board of Directors-Loyola Law School, Board of Directors-Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Board of Trustees-Oakwood School, Advisory Council-Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, and is a Member of the Executive Committee-Beverly Hills Bar Family Law Section and Los Angeles Bar-Family Law Section.

Complete Bio | Wikipedia Page

University:

University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1991

Law School:

Loyola Law School, J.D., 1994

Practice Areas:

Family Law

Bruce E. Cooperman

Mr. Cooperman has been practicing law since 1977 and is a Certified Family Law Specialist and member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He has extensive experience in the litigation of complex, substantial wealth and income cases, including cases involving property characterization and apportionment, premarital, and marital agreements, and cases involving high earner and high standard of living child and spousal support. His clients include individuals listed on the Forbes 400, entrepreneurs, business executives, legal, accounting, and medical professionals, entertainers, and professional athletes.
Mr. Cooperman is widely recognized as a leading member of the California family law bar. Most recently, he was the recipient of the 2024 Spencer Brandeis Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Los Angeles County Bar Family Law Section. This award is made “when merited, to an individual who has had an extraordinary impact upon the advancement of family law by way of creative legal advocacy and commitment to the service of the family law community.” Mr. Cooperman has been named by the Best Lawyers in America publication as the “Los Angeles Family Law Lawyer of the Year” three times in the last ten years –in 2014, 2019, and 2024. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Family Law Person of the Year Award, the highest honor conferred by the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Cooperman has been Listed in the Best Lawyers in America publication from 2003-present, in the Super Lawyers publication from 2004-present, and has been selected as a “Top 100 Super Lawyer” in 2004, 2006, and 2012-2014. He is peer review rated as “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Cooperman is a contributing editor to The Rutter Group Family Law Practice Guide, one of the foremost research resources used by California family law attorneys. He has lectured extensively on a variety of topics, including prenuptial and marital agreements, sophisticated property, support, custody and discovery issues, as well as advanced trial tactics and techniques. He has served as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Family Law Section, and as President of the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Mr. Cooperman is equally adept in the mediation and collaborative law contexts as he is in the courtroom.
Complete Bio

University:

University of California at Irvine, B.A., summa cum laude, 1974, Phi Beta Kappa

Law School:

University of California at Los Angeles, J.D., 1977, Order of the Coif

Practice Areas:

Family Law (100%)
Certified Specialist, Family Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
melanie

Melanie D. Mandles

Ms. Mandles has exclusively practiced family law with the firm since passing the bar in 1997.  She became a partner with the firm in 2007, and a named partner in 2016.  During her years of practice, Ms. Mandles has represented high net worth individuals in many different fields, including the entertainment and sports industry, business executives, innovators in the technology industry, doctors and attorneys, as well as beneficiaries of substantial family wealth and their spouses.  Ms. Mandles is most noted for her settlement oriented approach, but has also achieved great success in the courtroom for her clients.  Ms. Mandles serves on the executive board of the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, and has worked as a volunteer attorney for the Alliance for Children’s Rights.  Among other accolades, Ms. Mandles has been named in “Best Lawyers in America” and “Top Women Lawyers in Southern California” since 2013, and is proud to have been included in the "Top 50 Women Attorneys in Southern California".
Complete Bio

University:

University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1994

Law School:

Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1997

Practice Areas:

Family Law

Laura Landesman

Since graduating from UCLA Law School in 1982, Ms. Landesman has practiced exclusively family law.  She has been a Certified Family Law Specialist for over 20 years, and is a “Super Lawyer.”  Ms. Landesman enjoys drafting prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements and postnuptial agreements in addition to the general practice of family law.
Complete Bio

University:

University of California at Irvine, B.A., 1979

Law School:

University of California at Los Angeles, J.D., 1982

Practice Areas:

Family Law (100%)
Certified Specialist, Family Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
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Amy L. Rice

Ms. Rice is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. Before joining the firm in 2006, Ms. Rice was a partner in a Century City boutique business litigation firm, where she tried cases in state and federal courts, representing corporations, partnerships, and individuals in a broad range of complex business and commercial cases. Ms. Rice’s former practice particularly emphasized the areas of entertainment litigation, palimony litigation, legal malpractice defense litigation, and real estate and employment litigation. Since joining Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles, her practice has been focused on representing high net worth individuals in resolving, by way of settlement or trial, complex marital property issues.
Complete Bio

University:

University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., cum laude, 1979

Law School:

University of Southern California, J.D., 1983; Member, Moot Court Honors Program

Practice Areas:

Family Law
Business Litigation
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Nan Zirafi

Nan Zirafi is a seasoned and highly-esteemed servant of the law who began practicing Family Law in 1997. As a member of the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the prestigious Beverly Hills Bar Association, Nan Zirafi is highly regarded as top of her field. From 2004-2007, she was selected as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” and from 2008-2014, Zirafi was honored as Southern California’s “Super Lawyer” in Family Law.
Complete Bio

University:

Kent State University, B.S., 1983
Ohio University, M.S., 1984

Law School:

Southwestern Law School, J.D., 1997

Practice Areas:

Family Law
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Jay A. Polstein

Mr. Polstein is a partner at Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. He has been practicing family law exclusively since 2005.  Prior to focusing on family law, he was an entertainment lawyer in the music, film and television businesses.  He is also motion picture producer, with motion picture producing credits including the films “Frida” and “Underdog,” among many others.  Mr. Polstein uses his extensive knowledge of the entertainment business in his representation of musicians, actors, writers, directors and entertainment executives and agents, and their spouses, in family law matters.
Complete Bio

University:

Georgetown University, B.A., 1981

Law School:

University of California School of Law, Los Angeles, J.D., 1984

Practice Areas:

Family Law
Parima Pandkhou

Parima Pandkhou

Ms. Pandkhou is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has been practicing family law since 2004 undertaking a range of challenging family law matters, including international jurisdictional issues, characterization and valuation of assets, spousal and child support issues, as well as child custody matters. Ms. Pandkhou has represented high net worth individuals in various industries and has extensive experience in drafting premarital and postmarital agreements. She has also successfully handled several family law appeals. Prior to practicing family law, Ms. Pandkhou gained considerable business litigation experience, which she uses to obtain optimal results for her clients in family law matters particularly those involving business and/or corporate assets. Ms. Pandkhou is a certified mediator and volunteered for years as a mediator at the Stanley Mosk courthouse in Los Angeles. Ms. Pandkhou serves on the board of directors of Levitt-Quinn, a provider of family law services to low-income individuals in Los Angeles and is member of Los Angeles County Bar Association and of Beverly Hills Bar Association. Ms. Pandkhou is also a Fellow member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
Complete Bio

University:

University of Southern California, B.S., 1994

Law School:

Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1997
Cornell University Law School/Universite Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne, Paris, France, Comparative Law, 2002

Practice Areas:

Family Law
Family Law Appeals

Languages:

French
Farsi
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Ram F. Cogan

Mr. Cogan is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles.  Admitted to practice law by the State Bar of California in 1987, Mr. Cogan spent the first eighteen years of his legal career as a business litigator handling complex business disputes.  Thereafter, Mr. Cogan has been practicing exclusively family law integrating his experience as a business litigator and trial strategies into the complex intricacies involved in resolving all aspects of family law disputes, including those which escalate to trial.  Mr. Cogan is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California as well as the United States Court of Appeals (9th Circuit).  Mr. Cogan was named on the list of Southern California Super Lawyers for the years 2012 to present.  He has contributed to commentaries published in California Family Law Monthly and has volunteered for the Domestic Violence Project in the downtown Los Angeles Superior Court and has been on the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law pro bono panel.  In 2015, Mr. Cogan received the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services. 
Complete Bio

University:

University of California at Berkeley, B.A., History, magna cum laude, 1984, Phi Beta Kappa

Law School:

University of California at Los Angeles, J.D., 1987

Practice Areas:

Family Law
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Erica J. Lubans

Ms. Lubans is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has practiced Family Law exclusively since 2008. Originally from the East Coast, she is also licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and New York. She attended law school in Boston, during which time she participated in a judicial clerkship. She practiced Family Law at a leading Boston firm prior to relocating to California in 2011, at which time she joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has experience with a variety of complex Family Law matters, and has represented a wide array of high net worth clients. She is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and was selected as one of Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” for 2020.
Complete Bio

University:

Deerfield Academy, Deerfield. Massachusetts, 1998
Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, B.A., 2002

Law School:

Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts, J.D., 2008

Practice Areas:

Family Law
Jenny

Jennifer M. Riemer

Ms. Riemer is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has practiced family law exclusively since 2008 and is a Certified Family Law Specialist. She has extensive experience representing high net worth individuals, as well as their spouses, in all types of family law issues including child custody and support, spousal support, property valuation and division of property, post divorce issues/support and custody modifications. Jennie has lectured extensively and authored articles on a variety of complex family law topics for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, State Bar of California, American Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, and other organizations. She was selected as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” in 2010, 2011, and 2013 - 2018.
Complete Bio

University:

Vanderbilt University, B.A. 2005

Law School:

Boston University School of Law, J.D. 2008

Practice Areas:

Family Law
Certified Specialist, Family Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

Jennifer R. Morra

Ms. Morra graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2005 with degrees in Psychology and Writing Seminars before attending UCLA School of Law, where she received her law degree with a specialization in Business Law. Prior to practicing family law, Ms. Morra worked as an associate with Paul Hastings' financing and restructuring group, giving her unique insight and knowledge of complex financial matters which has proven invaluable in her handling of high net worth dissolution matters. Ms. Morra made the transition from corporate law to family law after becoming involved in the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles' (WLALA) Sojourn Domestic Violence Clinic and has worked exclusively in family law since 2011. Ms. Morra joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles in 2017. Ms. Morra is a volunteer with Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law and WLALA's Sojourn Domestic Violence Clinic and an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the prestigious Beverly Hills Bar Association.

University:

Johns Hopkins University. B.As in Psychology and Writing Seminars, 2005

Law School:

UCLA, J.D., Specialization in Finance and Business Law, 2010

Admitted:

2010, California
2010, U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Memberships:

Beverly Hills Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Women’s Law Association of Los Angeles
California State Bar

Juliana N. Williamson

Juliana Williamson has practiced family law exclusively since 2012, representing a diverse range of clients all over Southern California and the Bay Area.
Juliana has experience in all aspects of family law, including division of property, determination of spousal and child support, Marvin cases, and resolution of parenting and custody matters. Juliana handles high asset cases involving complex financial issues, venture capital, private equity, privately held companies, real estate, and family trusts. Juliana works collaboratively with experts specializing in forensic accounting, finance, equity compensation, corporate law, charitable vehicles, tax, and estate planning, as needed, to develop the most effective and efficient path to resolution.
Juliana represents clients through the litigation process both before private judges and in public court. Juliana especially enjoys alternative dispute resolution through mediation and settlement negotiation. Juliana works closely with her clients to understand their specific goals and objectives, and tailors her approach to each individual and their needs. With well over a decade of dedicated family law practice, she is well known for finding creative solutions for complex matters and for the compassionate and hands-on guidance she provides to her clients.
Juliana is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, San Francisco Bar Association, and San Mateo County Bar Association. She has also served on the Leadership Council for the esteemed Family Violence Appellate Project and the San Mateo County Race & Social Justice Committee. She has been recognized every year since 2017 as a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.
Juliana earned her law degree in 2012 from Santa Clara University School of Law. While in law school, Juliana was a participant in the Northern California Innocence Project, volunteered with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) mentoring at risk youth, and was a recipient of the Pro Bono Recognition Award. Juliana received the CALI-Excellence for the Future Award in Law and Social Justice, as well as earned a Certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice.

University:

Southern Methodist University, B.A., 2009

Law School:

Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D., 2012

Admitted:

2012, California

Memberships:

Beverly Hills Bar Association
San Francisco Bar Association
San Mateo County Bar Association
California State Bar

Community Involvement

Family Violence Appellate Project Leadership Counsel, Member
Justice & Diversity Center’s Family Law Project, Volunteer

Ashley L. Montgomery

Ms. Montgomery joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles as an associate in 2017 after practicing business litigation and family law for two years at a boutique law firm. While attending Southwestern Law School, Ashley externed for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in the sex crimes and major crimes division, and was certified by the State Bar of California’s Practical Training of Law Students Program to represent and advocate on behalf of qualifying low income children in special education and disciplinary matters. Prior to attending law school, Ashley was the office administrator for a prestigious surrogacy agency in Southern California. While attending undergraduate school at U.C. Berkeley, she interned at the Justice Department, Civil Rights Division, in Washington D.C. She is currently a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Family Law Executive Committee and serves as the Committee’s secretary.

University:

University of California, Berkeley B.A. in Political Science, 2008

Law School:

Southwestern School of Law, J.D., 2013

Admitted:

2013, California
2013, U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Memberships:

Beverly Hills Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
California State Bar

Jessica C. Krouner

Ms. Krouner joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles in 2021, and has practiced family law exclusively since 2016. Ms. Krouner earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from UCLA. She handles all facets of family law issues through mediation and trial including, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, dissolution of marriage, domestic violence restraining orders, child custody and support, spousal support, property valuation and division of property, and post-divorce issues. Ms. Krouner has volunteered at the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law since 2016 and is a member of the New Leaders Network. She is also a member of Beverly Hills Bar Association, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She has been named a Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star” each year since 2018.

University:

University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., 2010

Law School:

UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2015

Admitted:

2016, California
2017, U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Memberships:

Beverly Hills Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Women's Law Association of Los Angeles
California State Bar

Julian Shojaie

Mr. Shojaie recently joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles after practicing employment defense where he litigated single and multi-plaintiff FEHA claims, wage and hour disputes, and data privacy with a large national corporate firm based in Los Angeles/Orange County. Mr. Shojaie counseled clients and litigated employment disputes on a wide variety of employment and labor matters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Mr. Shojaie earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from UCLA where he participated in marriage family therapy research within preventative therapy prior to family separation, and soon after law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. While in law school, Mr. Shojaie served as the Chief Alumni Relations and Symposia Chair for Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, Volume 42, where he worked with a wide range of entertainment legal professionals. He handles all facets of family law issues through mediation and trial including, child custody and support, spousal support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, dissolution of marriage, domestic violence restraining orders, property valuation and division of property, and post-divorce issues.

University:

University of California at Los Angeles, B.A. Psychology, 2016

Law School:

Loyola Law School, J.D., 2022, Civil Litigation Certification Executive Board, Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, Volume 42

Admitted:

2022, California
2022, U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Memberships:

Beverly Hills Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Iranian American Bar Association

Jennie M. Ponce

Ms. Jennie Ponce is a certified paralegal with over 20 years of dedicated experience in family law litigation support. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and earned her Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension.
Before joining our firm in 2022, Ms. Ponce honed her expertise with several prestigious family law firms. Her extensive background includes a broad range of family law matters, with a particular emphasis on case management, trial preparation, and document drafting. Her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to effective client support underscore her role as a valuable asset to our team.

University:

California State University Dominguez Hills, B.A. Sociology, 2013
UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, Paralegal Certificate