THE TEAM
adam s jaffe,
owner
Over the past 23 years, Adam has become the elite of Atlanta and Georgia trial lawyers and litigators. Adam has won major cases in every single area of his Civil and Criminal Trial Practice in Georgia. He has dominated Atlanta and Georgia Courtrooms in the most complex national custody cases to million dollar verdicts to beating the Federal Government in criminal trials. His current practice areas include all simple and complex Georgia family law matters including but not limited to divorce, child custody, child support, modifications, visitation, paternity, prenuptial agreements, mediation, LGBT family rights, division of property, contempt, alimony and spousal support. His past experience, which enhanced his courtroom skills, includes simple and catastrophic auto accidents & personal injury, major medical malpractice, simple and complex criminal defense, and breach of contract. During his 20 year career, Adam has litigated, tried, settled and won thousands of cases to conclusion in Federal, Superior, State and Magistrate courts (both statewide and nationally). With his past jury verdict in the amount of $1,060,000.00, Adam achieved elite status as one of the few lawyers in the State of Georgia who has won major trials in all of his areas of both civil and criminal trial practice.
Adam obtained his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. There, he was President of the Loyola Law School Board of Advocates and was a member of the National Trial Team, where he won the first championship in Loyola Law school history. He also coached and won with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America trial team, and the Louisiana State Bar Trial Team, where he was named champion.
Adam was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He obtained a B.A. in Rhetoric at the University of Georgia. There, he advocated as counsel for the UGA Defender-Advocate Society, where his talent was highly recognized and rewarded. Adam was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (an elite national leadership honor society) and Leadership UGA (top student leaders). During his studies he was named a Richard B. Russell Leadership Fellow.
RYAN CASTELLON, managing partner
Ryan Castellon is one of the top and most elite family lawyers in Georgia. Ryan handles more family law trials annually than practically any lawyer in the State of Georgia. Ryan manages our multi lawyer team, and personally ensures that every client receives top shelf representation. Exclusively practicing family law for the entirety of his practice, Ryan is devoted to helping his clients with determination, honesty and integrity. His current practice areas include all simple and complex Georgia Family Law matters including but not limited to divorce, child custody, child support, modifications, visitation, paternity, prenuptial agreements, mediation, LGBT family rights, division of property, contempt, alimony, temporary protective order defense and prosecution as well as any and all DFCS matters. Ryan provides a strong and clear voice in the court room and is familiar with not only judges in the metro area but throughout the entire state. Ryan has been in hundreds of hearings and mediations and understands the intricacies of this complex process. If you have a question, he has an answer.
Ryan was raised in Dover, Delaware. He obtained a B.A. in Political Science at Washington College. There, he played men’s lacrosse for the consistently nationally ranked program.
After relocating to Georgia, Ryan obtained his J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta. There, he engaged in various opportunities to hone his craft such as working under top family lawyers in the Atlanta area as well as a Family Law Judge. He honed his skills in negotiation through working as mediator in the Landlord Tenant Court of Fulton County.
JOHN EVANS, partner
John Evans is an elite family lawyer who tries hundreds of family law matters annually throughout Georgia. Originally from Atlanta, John attended Erskine College, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science. There he honed his skills of advocacy and debate through his membership and eventual leadership of the Euphemian Literary Society. During his tenure, the Euphemian Debate Team was undefeated.
John returned to Atlanta to attend Georgia State University College of Law. He won the “Excellence in Advocacy” award for his mock trial prowess, and was a leader in the Capital Defender Clinic, assisting the best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Georgia as they fought for those facing the death penalty.
John fights tirelessly for every single client at Jaffe Family Law, and logs countless miles and hours attending court all over Georgia. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to truly help people on a daily basis.
Janay Robinson, partner
Janay is originally from Pittsburgh, PA but grew up mostly in the Western suburbs of Chicago, IL. She attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, earning a BA in Sociology, and minored in both Spanish for the Legal Professions, and Social and Economic Justice while being captain of the Collegiate Mock Trial Team. She attended the University of Minnesota Law School where she earned her J.D. and specialized in Family Law. While in law school, she interned with an 11th Circuit Federal District Court Judge, the Florida Department of Children & Families, and a highly renowned family law litigator in Alpharetta, as well as participating in Mock Trial, Moot Court, and the Black Law Student Association all while remaining on the Dean’s List. She also tried both Family Law and Juvenile cases as a Student Attorney of the Minnesota Child Advocacy & Juvenile Justice Clinic.
Janay is extremely devoted to fervently and bilingually advocating for her clients throughout their entire case with Jaffe Family Law in both Spanish and English.
courtney shelton,
senior associate
Courtney Shelton is a graduate of Spelman College, earning a degree in Political Science. During her time at Spelman, she was a Bonner Scholar and is a graduate of Spelman’s Women of Excellence Leadership Series. Immediately following her graduation, Courtney attended DePaul University College of Law, earning her J.D. with a Certificate in Public Interest Law. While at DePaul, she was a member of the Public Interest Law Association, a Family Law Fellow, and volunteered in the Cook County Domestic Violence Court. She also participated in the Public Sector Clinic and Misdemeanor Criminal Clinic. Courtney was a recipient of the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award, the DePaul University College of Law Minority Achievement Scholarship, and was First Runner-Up for the MLK Scholarship Award.
After law school, Courtney moved back to Atlanta, Georgia to begin her legal career. She first interned with Atlanta Legal Aid in the Employment Law Division. Then was recruited to assist in establishing “Ken Hodges Law” with the Honorable Kenneth B. Hodges. Ken Hodges Law handled various practice areas, including, but not limited to, criminal defense, personal injury, contract disputes, and managing Receiverships in DeKalb and Clayton County. After the Honorable Hodges was elected to the Georgia Court of Appeals, she joined the DeKalb County Solicitor’s Office as an Assistant Solicitor-General. In her five years as an Assistant Solicitor-General, she worked in Divisions A and B of the DeKalb County State Court. Courtney has extensive trial experience, having handled hundreds of bench and jury trials, and numerous motion and bond hearings. Courtney is a compassionate attorney and a fierce advocate for her clients, both public and private. She is excited to be a member of Jaffe Family Law.
McCoy G. Martinez,
senior associate
Originally from Albuquerque, NM McCoy served the United States Army for three years after high school. He then went on to attend college at the New Mexico Military Institute where he received his Bachelor’s in Business with a Concentration in Management Information Systems .
He went on to receive his law degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.
McCoy sits on the board of the Non-Profit “Young Adults With Autism (YAWA) and is devoted to providing caring, first rate service to his clients.
michael s. stewart,
associate attorney
Michael is from the middle GA area hailing from Warner Robins where he spent almost all of his life until college. He attended Kennesaw State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He went on to attend John Marshall Law School in Atlanta earning his J.D. while also serving as Vice Chair of Moot Court. Throughout law school, Michael worked as a paralegal for various personal injury firms in the Atlanta-area as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of GA.
Outside of working as an attorney, Michael has worked in the theatre industry as well. He served on the Board of Directors and as adjunct director for a small theatre in middle GA and now serves as Production Committee Chair and adjunct director for the Marietta Theatre Company. Michael also serves as an adjudicator for the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards (Shulers). Michael is very passionate about his love for both theatre and practicing law, and is thrilled to be a member of the Jaffe Family Law team!
BRIANA SABATASO,
ASSOCIATE attorney
Briana Sabataso was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. She attended the University of Florida where she obtained her B.A. in Linguistics, with a minor in English.
At the University of Florida, Briana worked at the Student Legal Services office where she assisted students with free legal services in the areas of landlord-tenant and uncontested family law matters. After her graduation from the University of Florida,
Briana relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and attended law school at Georgia State University. While in law school, Briana specialized in family law and obtained robust experience in her internships in which she advocated for survivors of family violence and ran a family law clinic that handled uncontested family law matters. Briana also obtained her certificate in Public Interest Law and contributed over 100 hours of pro bono work while in law school. Since then, Briana has started her career as a family law attorney at Jaffe Family Law where she looks forward to continuing her work with clients during challenging times of their lives.
lauren jenkins, associate attorney
Lauren, originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a two-time Howard University graduate, earning her B.A in Strategic, Legal, and Management Communications and J.D degrees. While at Howard, Lauren served as a student attorney in the Reentry Clinic, advocating for an improved clemency process and more effective Reentry services for those incarcerated in D.C jails. She also served as a Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, where she proposed the release of low level/non violent offenders in an overcrowded P.G County Detention Center during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. In addition to her time as a student attorney and fellow, Lauren also interned with the Death Penalty Information Center, tracking data surrounding the U.S’s capital punishment process.
Lauren’s strong interest in family law came in her third year of law school and changed the course of what she imagined her legal career would take. Since relocating back to Georgia, Lauren has spent her time serving diverse families as a family law paralegal for a local family law firm serving Metro Atlantans. Lauren states her passion as “advocating for families through the most difficult times of their lives.” She enjoys the intricacies of the family law field and the ability to positively impact the lives of Georgia families, and strives to be fervent, fair, and steadfast in her representation of Jaffe Family Law clients.
Ruthika Reddy, ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY
Ruthika was born in San Diego California, and then moved to Hyderabad, India at the age of 6 where she resided for 17 years. Ruthika received her B.A., L.L.B. from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) in 2021 and her J.D. from Baylor Law School in 2024. While at NALSAR, Ruthika was a member of the Board of Editors of the Environmental Law and Practice Review and avidly participated in a number of Mediation and Client Counselling competitions. However, it was her experience at Baylor that strengthened her desire to practice Family Law and encouraged her desire to appear in Court. She wishes to assist families in a time that can be emotionally taxing and provide effective and fair representation to her clients. In her free time, Ruthika enjoys reading (and complaining) about books and painting.
emily bond,
senior paralegal
Emily is an Atlanta native and she received her bachelor's degree from Georgia State University in 2019. While at Georgia State, Emily was an inducted member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and interned at a law firm in Midtown. Assisting with the discovery process is her speciality but she also enjoys assisting the attorney’s with trial preparation and everything in between. She is passionate about helping the attorney’s receive the best possible outcome for our client’s.
antonio pirela,
International Client Acquisition Director, paralegal
Antonio is a passionate attorney in Venezuela and a skilled Paralegal in the United States. With a commitment to understanding his clients' priorities and delivering top-notch solutions, he prides himself on being a reliable partner in their legal journeys.
Having honed his expertise in both Venezuela and the United States, he offers a unique perspective and comprehensive understanding of cross-border legal matters. Fluent in both Spanish and English, he ensures seamless communication with clients from diverse backgrounds.
You can expect a compassionate and empathetic professional who genuinely cares about your needs. Antonio is not just a Paralegal; he is dedicated to finding the best possible solutions tailored to your unique situation.
Jhancarlos Martinez, Paralegal
Jhancarlos was born and raised in the sunny city of Cartagena, Colombia. Jhancarlos grew up surrounded by the beaches of the Caribbean Sea and a historic colonial city. Jhancarlos moved to the United States in High school and Attended Georgia Southern University. Jhancarlos graduated with a bachelor’s in political science and history. Upon graduation, he worked as a Judicial Clerk for the City of Sandy Springs. Where he spent two years learning and becoming familiar with the legal world. He has a passion for our legal system, and he will be here to help you on every step of your legal journey with us.
maria coronado,
paralegal
Maria was born and raised in Atlanta. She received her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Armstrong State University where she fostered her love for helping people. After she graduated she started her legal career as a legal assistant, and was promoted to paralegal. Maria is fluent in Spanish.
varsha tellapur,
paralegal
Varsha was born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She has always been enthusiastic about helping people and took to Family Law, steered by a passion for justice and a desire to make a meaningful impact in the legal world. As a dedicated and detail-oriented paralegal, she is committed to providing comprehensive support to attorneys and clients alike. Fluent in Hindi and Telugu, she is continuously seeking opportunities for professional growth and development to better serve the needs of our clients and contribute to the success of our legal team.
jennifer simpson,
office manager
Jennifer is a military brat which awarded her the opportunity to live in several places over the years before her family settled in Florida where she attended Florida State University. After moving to the Atlanta area, she joined the firm as Billing Coordinator in January of 2022. She has a well-rounded background in management, the culinary arts and veterinary medicine. When not working she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband and their two dogs.