Four Blank Rome alumni, including two recent partners and two who previously left Blank Rome to be partners at McLaughlin & Stern, have launched a new family law boutique in New York City.

Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri—formed by Caroline Krauss and Heidi Tallentire of Blank Rome and Valentina Shaknes and Jordan Messeri of McLaughlin & Stern—launched earlier this month. Krauss said in a Nov. 15 interview that she and her new partners had worked together for decades and knew they had each others' backs.

Each lawyer brings special skills to the firm, said Krauss, who added that she was eager to spend less time on administration and more time practicing law and marketing the new firm. Shaknes is one of a select few ace attorneys in international child abduction law, Krauss said, while Messeri is "a fantastic trial lawyer" and Tallentire has a booming Connecticut practice.

Krauss said Simon Miller, a partner at Eisner LLP who was consulted on the new firm's partnership agreement, observed that each of the four lawyers looked at things differently, but ultimately got to the same place.

"That's why I think this is going to work," Krauss said. "I didn't want to go to someone else's firm, even if my name was added to the door."

At Blank Rome, where she co-chaired the matrimonial practice with Brett Ward, Krauss said the firm's full-service offering could be a "double-edged sword" because of the potential for client discomfort or conflicts between personal and commercial matters. Blank Rome's status as a top firm for family law also meant some clients would seek a consultation and go no further, simply to conflict Blank Rome from representing their spouse or adversary.

The new firm will be able to refer matters out and take inbound referrals more easily, she said. And overseeing a practice of about 30 lawyers at Blank Rome also made for a great deal of administrative work. At present, she said, Messeri has taken a lead role on logistics related to setting up the new firm.

Krauss Shaknes has offices in Greenwich, Connecticut, and its own space in the Empire State Building, with room to grow, Krauss said. Asked about management and compensation systems, Krauss said the partners will meet regularly to "figure out what's fair."

One of Krauss' most prominent clients, actor Robert De Niro, will be coming with her, she said. Other clients, who she declined to discuss by name, will also make the move, she said. The lawyers' assistants have also joined them, and associate Justine Stringer, formerly of McLaughlin & Stern, started the week of Nov. 11, Krauss added.

People at McLaughlin & Stern and Blank Rome praised their ex-colleagues. A representative for Blank Rome said "we wish them all the best with their new endeavor," and noted that the Am Law 100 firm's family law practice has continued to grow, even with the departures, expanding 15% in head count in the last year.

Peter Alkalay, who co-chairs McLaughlin & Stern's matrimonial practice, also praised Messeri and Shaknes, saying they gave plenty of notice of their desire to start a new firm and there was "absolutely no ill will." He said his firm's own practice was looking to bring on one or two new associates.

"These are two partners that we respected and I think this respect was mutual," he said. "They did everything right in terms of wrapping up the matters they were working on and working very closely with us in terms of making sure there was a smooth transition."