Emily McFarling Benson, Esq. - Managing Partner

Certifications

In 2010, Emily was Certified by the State Bar of Nevada as a Family Law Specialist making her the first female in the State to successfully complete the application and exam process. Emily also became the youngest Certified Family Law Specialist in the State of Nevada. There are currently only 20 Certified Family Law Specialists in the entire State of Nevada.

Biographical Information

In addition the practice of law, Emily is the author of several children's books and was the operator of an Internet publishing company. She is a country and jazz music singer and plays piano and guitar. Emily has lived in five countries and eight states.

Work Experience

Emily opened a solo law practice in Las Vegas in 2003 with the primary focus of family law. Since that time Emily has worked diligently to establish a reputation as a knowledgeable and aggressive attorney, gaining the respect of both her peers as well as Judges. Emily has grown her practice over the years and in 2010 gained the credential of Certified Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of Nevada. This is the top Family Law credential an attorney can obtain in Nevada. Emily's work consists primarily of complex and/or contested divorce and child custody matters.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Emily worked for three years at the Tobacco Control Resource Center and Tobacco Products Liability Project in Boston, Massachusetts doing research projects on legal issues relating to tobacco. Emily has worked for the New Hampshire Department of Justice consumer protection division and three firms in Massachusetts in the areas of tobacco and other toxic tort litigation, real estate, business transactions and estate planning.

Emily also teaches a class in Real Estate Law at the College of Southern Nevada. Emily's class covers all areas of law required for aspiring real estate agents to prepare for their licensing examination.

Bar Memberships and Affiliations

Education

• Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts 2002

  • International Mediation and Negotiation Training at Humbolt University in Berlin, Germany
  • European Union law coursework in Spetses and Rhodes, Greece

• Bachelor of Arts with honors in Sociology and Psychology from University of Missouri-Columbia 1998

  • Psychology coursework at Thames Valley University in London, England
• Rotary International Scholarship Student at Terezvarosi Kettannyelvu Altalanos Iskola in Budapest, Hungary

Authored Papers and Publications

• What Could Constitute Permissible Regulation of Sexually Explicit Material on the Internet after the Playboy Decision?
• A Reference Guide for Plaintiff's Attorneys to use the Engle Verdict Claim Nonmutual Offensive Collateral Estoppel in a Case Against the Tobacco Companies
• Twelve articles, including "Rate of Lung Disease in Women Increasing Rapidly" and "New Pill May Help Smokers Quit" Tobacco Control Update Fall/Winter 1998, Spring/Summer 1999, Fall/Winter 2000.

James D. Vitale, Esq. - Associate Attorney

Work Experience:

Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Poitical Science in 1990 from Rutgers University and later earned his Juris    Doctor in 1994 from Rutgers School of Law. He was licensed to practice law in New Jersey and New York since 1994 and 1995 respectively and became licensed in Nevada in 2007.

 Prior to moving to Nevada, Jim's practice concentrated on the corporate and regulatory aspects of insurance law. Jim was counsel to several international insurance and financial services corporations including American International Group, Inc., Zurich FInancial Services, CIGNA Corporation, and Gerling Global. Jim was Vice President and Counsel to GE-Zurich Warranty Management, a joint venture between the General Electric Company and Zurich Financial Services from 1999 through 2001.

During his career Jim has also gained experience in the fields of residential and commercial real estate, elder law, wills, trusts and estates.

Since becoming licensed in Nevada in 2007, Jim has concentrated almost exclusively on the practice of Family Law working at one of the most prestigious family law firms in the State of Nevada.   

Jim is listed in the "Millenium Edition" of Marquis' Who's Who in American Law.

 Bar Memberships and Affiliations:

• State Bar of Nevada
• State Bar of New Jersey
• State Bar of New York
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Education:

• Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law, 1994
• B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, 1990

Authored Papers and Publications:

• Separate Maintenance, Nevada Family Law Report, Volume 21, Issue 3
http://www.nvbar.org/sections/FamilyLaw/NFLR/summer2008.pdf 

If you need assistance with a legal matter in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, contact our office at 702.565.4335 and set-up a consultation with one of our qualified attorneys.
McFarling Benson is committed to providing the highest possible level of legal representation assisting you now and in the future.