Seema Ali Rizzo

Bar Admissions

• New York State Bar, 1998

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Professional Experience

Seema was employed by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct as Staff Attorney and then as an Assistant District Attorney with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office prior to joining the firm as an Associate Attorney in 2003. Initially, Seema sharpened her trial skills in the Litigation Department handling personal injury, insurance defense and criminal matters. Since that time she has concentrated her practice in the areas of matrimonial and family law. She was named Chair of the Domestic Relations/Family Law Division of the firm’s Litigation Department in September 2005 and was named a Partner of the firm in August 2010. She was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in December 2019. Seema has extensive experience representing clients in both Supreme and Family Court in Monroe County and various other countries in the 7th Judicial District. Seema is also a frequent lecturer for the NYSBA for newly admitted and advanced practitioners in the areas of family and matrimonial law. Seema has been a practitioner of Collaborative Law since 2005. Seema believes that her undergraduate degree in psychology combined with courses concentrating in family law and alternative dispute resolution in law school provide her with a unique skill set in order to assist clients dealing with challenging family issues.

Education

• York University, B.A., 1993
• Syracuse University, College of Law, J.D., 1997

Court Admissions

• U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
• U.S. District Court of the Western District of New York, 2003

Professional and Civic Activities

• Monroe County Bar Association, Family Law Section Member
• New York State Bar Association, Family Law Section Member
• Collaborative Law Association of the Rochester Area (CLARA), President, 2016
• Development of Indo-American Leaders (DIAL), Board Member, 2006-Present
• United Way Women’s Leadership Council, Steering Committee Member, 2014-Present
• Mental Health Association, Board Member, 2005-2011
• United Way, Community Investment Executive Cabinet, 2007-2011
• MCBA Professional Performance Committee, 2008-2013
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019
• Appointed to NYS Unified Court System OCA Matrimonial Practice Advisory & Rules Committee (MPARC), 2021

Honors and Awards

• Rochester Business Journal, Forty Under 40 recipient, 2005
• Rochester Business Journal, Women of Excellence recipient, 2018
• The Daily Record, The Power 20 - Family Law Attorneys, 2022

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Speaking Engagements

• Family Court Practice: Custody, Child Protection Proceedings and Ethics. New York State Bar Association, 2007,2009 and 2014
• Basic Matrimonial Practice. New York State Bar Association, 2008, 2009 and 2014
• Matrimonial Trial Institute: Trial Techniques and Strategies, Closely Held Businesses, Licenses and Professional Practices, New York State Bar Association, 2013.
• Divorce Anniversaries II: Valuation and Executive Compensation. New York State Bar Association, 2015
• So Custody Is An Issue: What Do We Do Now? New York State Bar Association, 2015
• Family Court Trial Institute: Orders of Protection. New York State Bar Association, 2016.
• Family Court Trial Institute II: Support Hearings, Enforcement and Downward Modifications. New York State Bar Association, 2017.
• Matrimonial Trial Series: I. Pre-trial Preparation. Monroe County Bar Association, 2017.
• Critical Areas in Matrimonial Law II, New York State Bar Association, 2018
• Matrimonial Trial Institute I; A Mock Financial Trial, NYSBA, 2019

Personal Info/Hobbies/Interests

Seema resides in Victor, New York with her husband, Joe. She is a self-declared foodie, music lover and shoe enthusiast.

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