MEET OUR TEAM

David W. Griffin is a retired partner. During his career, David was one of Connecticut’s and the region’s most highly respected family trial lawyers. He has dedicated much of his career to representing clients in divorce, custody, relocation and income and asset distribution cases, including alimony and support issues arising from complicated compensation structures and high net worth families, and has represented some of the region’s and nation’s most high profile and wealthy individuals. He has extensive experience with business valuation issues across a variety of industries, including closely-held companies, private equity, hedge fund and related holdings. David’s litigation experience involved complex finances, electronically stored information (ESI) and manipulation of data files and recordings. He negotiated to settlement, and litigated when necessary, complex financial and custody cases, including provisions for confidentiality, in various courts throughout Connecticut.

David is a current Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and was named AAML National Fellow of the Year in 2016. He remains active in that organization on the national and state levels, chairing or co-chairing, among other committees, the National Test Committee and the National Continuing Legal Education Committee in two separate years, providing highly advanced and cutting edge educational programming to the top matrimonial lawyers throughout the country. He currently chairs the AAML Communications Initiative and serves on the Budget and Finance Committee, the Institute For Family Law Associates Training Committee, the Education/Programming Committee, and the Board of Editors of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. David lectures and writes extensively on both financial and custody topics in the area of matrimonial and family law.

David is also highly experienced in International Family Law. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and engaged in and litigated cases seeking and securing the return of children abducted across international borders and advancing claims both under the Hague Convention as well as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. He negotiated international prenuptial agreements covering multiple jurisdictions, working with co-counsel and translators in a variety of foreign countries, and represented clients in the defense of, and settlement of, cases involving the enforcement of international prenuptial agreements.

Prior to focusing exclusively on matrimonial law, David started his career at a commercial law firm in New Haven, Connecticut, served as general counsel of a large regional real estate development firm, and practiced matrimonial law for many years in a law firm with his father and brother.

David has historically donated significant time as a Special Master in the Stamford Judicial District and at the Connecticut Regional Family Trial Docket, the high-conflict custody court established by the State of Connecticut, helping families try to resolve their cases through mediation with a lawyer and a mental health professional, rather than by conflict. He comes from a family that is dedicated to the legal profession — his father was an attorney for more than 60 years and both of his brothers are attorneys.

Education

• University of Houston Law Center, J.D. - 1983
• Ithaca College, B.A. - 1979
• State of Connecticut Guardian Ad Litem/Attorney for Minor Children Training Course 2010, Instructor

Bar Admissions

• Connecticut, 1983
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1984

Presentations

“Navigating Divorce in Cross-Border Unions” Informa Connect Transatlantic Wealth & Estate Planning Conference New York, Co-speaker with Miranda Fisher of London and Katrina Robinson of Teton Trust, September 2023

“The Communications Dynamic: What We Can Learn if we Reverse-Engineer the Different Facets of the Communications ‘Prism’” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Co-speaker with various speakers, November, 2022

“Digital Evidence in Family Law Cases – What You Need to Know Before it “Bytes” You in the 41 73 73” AAML-BVR (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Business Valuation Resources) National Divorce Financial Conference, Las Vegas, NV, Co-speaker with Michael Meehan and Nicholas Himonidis, September, 2022

“Negotiation: Is it Group Yoga, Ballroom Dancing, Weightlifting or Wrestling? Or is it All of the Above?” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Co-speaker with Andrew Soshnick, November, 2021

"How A Family Lawyer Can Understand a Valuation Expert's Exercise of Judgment", Connecticut Bar Association, Family Law Section, Co-speaker with Kenneth Pia, New Haven, CT - November 2019

"Valuing Complex Organizational and Capital Structures in Marital Dissolutions" BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference, Co-speaker with Neil Beaton, Las Vegas, NV - May 2019

"Healthcare Valuation & Divorce" BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference, Co-speaker with Mark Dietrich, Las Vegas, NV - May 2019

"Professional Judgment and Valuations of Start-Ups: On Your Mark, Get Set and Go" BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference, Co-speaker with Ron Seigneur, Las Vegas, NV - May 2019

"East Meets West - The Continental Divide: Venture Capital and Private Equity Interests From Silicon Valley to Silicon Alley" BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference, Co-speaker with Barry Sziklay, Las Vegas, NV - May 2019

"25 Hot Tips in 75 Minutes" BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference, Co-presenter with Planning Committee Members, Las Vegas, NV - May 2019

“Income Isn’t Just What’s in the Paycheck: Executive Compensation and Other Employee Benefits”: AAML Webinar, co-presenter with Charles Meyer, delves into the “alphabet soup” of the forms executive compensation can take and provides insights into the clues to watch for – December 2016

“2016 National Conference on Divorce”: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants/American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Co-Chair, New Orleans, LA – May 2016

“Hot Topics in Health Care Valuation: Reasonable Compensation, HIPAA and a Surprise or Two”: 2016 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants/American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers National Conference on Divorce, Co-speaker with Mark Dietrich, New Orleans, LA – May 2016

“Advanced Financial Issues”: Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Biennial Seminar, Program Coordinator, Moderator/Producer, Quinnipiac University School of Law, North Haven, CT – April 2016

Mr. Griffin has also taught continuing legal education seminars on The Hague Convention, Child Custody and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

Professional Associations and Recognitions

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

• Fellow, 2013 – Present
• National Fellow of the Year 2016
• Chair, Communications Initiative 2021-Present
• Member, Budget and Finance Committee - Current
• Member, Education and Programming Committee – Current
• Member, Institute For Family Law Associates Training Committee – Current
• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of the American Academy Matrimonial Lawyers 2020-Present
• Member, Planning Committee for 2019 BVR-AAML National Divorce Financial Conference
• Co-Chair of the 2018 National CLE Committee
• Co-Chair of the National Test Committee, 2015 – 2016

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation

• Lifetime Member
• Member – Billable Hour Donation Club
• Board of Directors 2016 – 2021

International Academy of Family Lawyers

• Fellow, 2013 – Present

Connecticut Chapter - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

• Fellow, 2013 – Present
• Board Secretary and Member, Board of Managers
• President, 2021 - 2022

State of Connecticut Commission on Child Support Guidelines

• Member, 2011 – 2015
• Co-Chair, 2014 – 2015

Connecticut Bar Association

• Member, Family Law Section
• Member, Executive Committee of the Family Law Section - Current
• Family Law Section Chair, 2015 – 2016
• Section Vice-Chair, 2014 – 2015
• CLE Chair, 2013 – 2014
• Section Secretary, 2012 – 2013
• Section Treasurer, 2011 - 2012
• Treasurer, Family Law Section 2011 – 2012
• Member, Board of Editors, Connecticut Family Lawyer 2011 – 2014

Honors and Recognitions

Connecticut Magazine

Top Lawyers in Connecticut 2011 – 2025

“Top 50 Lawyers in Connecticut” (all practice areas) 2018 - 2025

• 7 consecutive years

Super Lawyers? 2011 – 2025

Ten Leaders of Matrimonial and Divorce Law 2011 – 2025

Best Lawyers? 2013 - 2025

The Wall Street Journal

New England Best Lawyers 2015 - 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Best Lawyers in New York Metro 2017 - 2025