Meet The Team

WhitsonLaw Firm’s team is results-oriented, empathetic, empowering, takes full responsibility, delivers as promised, is committed to clients, is responsible, and never gives up to fight for your happiness and freedom from a toxic relationship or marriage.

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Debra Whitson

CEO/Owner of WhitsonLaw Firm

Attorney, Mediator, and Certified Divorce Specialists (CDS®)

For the first half of her career, Debra Whitson was a prosecutor, and she spent the latter half specializing in Matrimonial and Family Law. She is an experienced mediator and collaborative divorce practitioner as well as a recognized expert in working with victims of domestic violence.

Debra Whitson believes that legal battles are more harmful to families than helpful, and is passionate about helping people find ways to make their own decisions for their families, rather than leaving their outcomes in the hands of a stranger in a black robe. When court is unavoidable, Debra aims to educate and support people to make the legal process less costly, scary, uncertain, and stressful. In her spare time,

Debra Whitson works with Zonta International to improve the lives of women and girls in her local community and around the globe. She loves to travel, have good food and wine, tennis, and spend time with her husband and children enjoying all of the outdoor activities available in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State where they make their home.


Martin Cohen

Attorney

Senior Counsel, Certified Divorce Specialists (CDS®)

Martin is an experienced practitioner who relies on tenacity, loyalty, and honesty while drawing upon years of education to help counsel clients.  Client priorities will be addressed because Mr. Cohen ensures that clients understand the litigation roadmap and the significant legal issues. That understanding allows litigation to proceed like chess, where strategy and careful moves give the client the best chance of success.

When not in the office, Mr. Cohen enjoys time with his wife and family, which, more often than not, involves baseball.     

Martin is a graduate of the Cardozo School of Law.  Mr. Cohen’s legal education is supported by a Master’s degree in Education from Columbia University, a Master’s degree in English literature from Penn State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in English from Hamilton College.


Kristie Walsdorf

Attorney

Senior Associate

Kristie, a native of northern New York and a St. Regis Mohawk Indian, brings to the firm 20 years of experience as a trial attorney. Kristie’s wide-ranging legal career has resulted in her trying over 120 jury trials in multiple states and jurisdictions as she is licensed in both Federal and State Courts, including New York, Texas, Florida, and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Court. Kristie’s previous experience includes running her solo practice engaging in family law and criminal law. Kristie has experience working in large nationwide firms, where she represented individuals, Fortune 500 companies, and Indian Tribal Nations consistently earning their trust and successful outcomes.  

Notable events in her career include exoneration of the wrongfully convicted and imprisoned, winning life-changing financial awards for her clients, and acting as a witness for the ACLU to testify regarding illegal bail practices in Federal Court. Today, Kristie’s focus is on family and matrimonial law exclusively, advocating for her clients and their families knowing the impact that a competent, caring, and supportive partner can have during one of the most difficult times of their lives.  

Kristie earned her B.A. from Indiana University and her J.D. from the University of New Mexico where she specialized in Indian Law. Kristie has served as the President of the Criminal Bar Association, and frequently speaks at local events to educate the public on current events and the practice of law. When not in the office Kristie spends time with her family and working on her basket-making skills- a traditional Mohawk pastime.


Wendy Hernandez

Attorney

Senior Associate

Wendy grew up in a bilingual household in NYC and this has given me a range of experiences that have made her responsive to the needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

For the past 15 years, She enjoyed helping families navigate the sensitive issues they come across when going through a marital or family law matter.

Wendy listens, empathizes, finds a solution and if all else fails, she fights for your rights, as if they were her own.

When she’s out of the office, Wendy loves to spend time with her family, and go camping and her favorite thing to do is bake.


Atty. Amanda

Amanda Dysart

Attorney

Of Counsel

Amanda Dysart is a seasoned matrimonial and family law attorney with 8 years of relevant litigation experience in both the New York State Supreme and Family Courts.

Before joining Whitson Law Firm PLLC, Amanda Dysart practiced for several different law firms in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, where she specialized in settlement negotiations, motion practice, and trial preparation.

Amanda Dysart is a graduate of the University of Virginia, from which she holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in English literature, and a cum laude graduate of the City University of New York School of Law.

While in law school, Amanda Dysart clerked for the Honorable Ellen Gesmer, now of the First Appellate Department, and worked for several not-for-profit legal services agencies.


Katie Short

Manager of Legal Production / Law Clerk

Certified Divorce Specialists (CDS®)

Katie Short has 18 years of experience working in various areas of the legal arena. Her varied experiences have helped shape her well-rounded approach to working hand in hand with clients navigating the legal process.

Katie Short has experience in civil litigation, estate planning, child custody and support, dissolution of marriage, and mediation. She has found her passion in helping families successfully navigate the sometimes difficult transitions they face.

Katie Short is a graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law and utilizes her Juris Doctor the best way she can as a military spouse.

Katie Short enjoys traveling, good food, good wine, and good friends. She lives with her husband Brad and fur baby, a 13-year-old Labrador named Mia.


Christopher Daudelin

Sr. Paralegal

Law Clerk

Christopher is a Law Clerk/Sr. Paralegal working at Whiston Law PLLC. Christopher grew up just outside of Burlington Vermont and is a licensed attorney in Vermont. He is a graduate of Vermont Law School and Champlain College. He currently lives in Peru NY and is considering sitting for the New York Bar exam to become licensed in New York. 

Before relocating to New York, Christopher worked as an Associate for a handful of firms in private practice in Central Vermont and served as Corporate Counsel for a small software company based out of Delaware. While he is new to matrimonial law, he enjoys working with clients and making processes as efficient and expeditious as possible. 

Outside of work, you would find Christopher enjoys traveling and you may find him hiking, practicing yoga, playing guitar,  and/or spending time with friends and family.


Jessica McNatt

Paralegal

Jessica is a Florida/Georgia line native who has three (3) beautiful children and an amazing husband. Following the birth of her eldest child in 2003, She began her career in law enforcement by beginning with 9-1-1 dispatch.
 
She worked the next 11 years taking on multiple roles including an officer, warrants, and civil process, and assisted in other various positions. Following her own divorce and custody battle, She decided she needed to make a career change, and family law was a natural progression for her.
 
She had the desire to make a difference with people who were dealing with divorce and custody battles. She joined her first family law firm when she moved to New York in 2014. Since working on her first family law case, she knew this was the career for her. 
 
Jessica McNatt loves working with talented attorneys and preparing the clients so that the representation they receive is the best possible.
 
She feels a very personal accomplishment when one of our clients receives a great outcome. Family law is her passion and purpose. 
 

Karlien Haese

Marketing Director

Certified Divorce Specialists (CDS®)

Karlien has 10 years of experience in various fields, including Marketing, Sales Management,
Psychology, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Tourism, Administration, and Customer Service.

Karlien started working at WhitsonLaw, PLLC. in 2020, as an Executive Assistant and has since taken on a variety of other jobs at the firm, which led to her promotion to Marketing Director.

Before joining the WhitsonLaw team, Karlien worked at an established art gallery owned by one of South Africa’s most successful artists, and her combined love of art, sales, marketing, and customer service is what led her on her current career path.

She has diplomas and certifications in Management, Marketing, and Psychology and utilizes these to assist and find clients facing difficult family transitions.

Karlien loves traveling, watersports, good food, and wine, and is an avid supporter of animal charities. She resides in Cape Town, with her ginger cat, Floof Woof.


Josh Anne – Marketing Assistant

Josh Anne Cuezon

Marketing Assistant

Digital Marketing Specialist

Josh Anne has 8 years of experience in Digital Marketing such as Social Media Marketing, Paid Media, SEO, SEM, E-commerce, Blog andArticlee Writing, Website Content Development, Graphic Design, and Content Planning.

Josh Anne has a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts Specializing in Video and Motion Graphics at CIIT College of Arts and Technology in Quezon City, Philippines.

Josh Anne pursued her career in the Digital Marketing path because she enjoys strategy.

She always listens to any kind of music where she can relate her feelings and has a creative mind and strategic mind. She loves to surf the internet and at the same time eat and travel.


Lucia – Client Support

Lucia Galdos

Client Support Specialist

Client Concierge/Certified Divorce Specialists (CDS®)

Lucia Galdos is a Textile Designer graduate of Buenos Aires University in Argentina. She has 7 years of experience in the textile industry. She is passionate about color and specializes in the use of CAD software.

During the pandemic, she focused on improving her bilingual and remote customer service skills, and she also worked in a contact center headquartered in the United States.

Lucia Galdos believes that empathy and active listening are key to providing a great customer experience.

She enjoys nature walks, taking photos, tea, chocolate cookies, and doing all types of crafts. She has 2 frisky cats: Ichigo and Lola.


Larona Munjelele

Director of Client Engagement

Client Concierge

Larona is excited to be in a field that will allow her to utilize her empathetic personality. She is an outgoing person and loves exploring her country.

Larona enjoys listening to educational podcasts especially those about psychology as she is very intrigued by the human mind. She grew up in a small farming town in the North West, South Africa, and is the youngest of four children.

Larona is also a new mother to a beautiful baby girl. She studied at the University of Pretoria where she obtained her Bachelor of Administration in Public Management.

She also has experience in customer service and also in provincial government policies.


Marenique – Executive Assistant

Marenique Van Der WestHuizen

Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant of the Law Firm

Marenique is a part-time law student at the University of South Africa and is only a few credits away from graduating. She decided to join Whitson Law Firm to learn more about a Family and Matrimonial Law Firm as that is where her passion lies.

Marenique loves traveling and exploring her country, she has a big passion for animals and has rescued and rehomed street animals to the best of her ability.

Sometimes not always willing to give up rescues, she lives with 6 dogs, 3 cats, and her fiancée.


Watch our Team Video