Kenneth Lindauer is today one of the most successful matrimonial attorneys in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area, having built a respected independent practice over the last three decades. He has offices located in Salem and Haverhill, Massachusetts. With an attentive, low-key manner and dry wit, Lindauer, a New York native who grew up playing stickball on the streets of Upper Manhattan, is widely known for his skillful management of cases and his broad knowledge of the law and the court system, especially in Essex County, where he has practiced virtually his entire career.

By his own estimation, "divorce law wasn't my natural calling." After law school he practiced briefly in Boston before opening his own office in Salem. As part of a general local practice, he took on matrimonial cases right away. By the mid 80s much of his practice had evolved into divorce litigation and mediation. "There's a personal connection with the client that's unique to matrimonial work - and that's what appealed to me." Peers say he is a shrewd attorney who knows the system - judges and the courts - as well as anyone in Essex County. Over his career he has handled hundreds of divorce cases, cases that are becoming increasingly complex and high-stakes. "As I get older, many of my clients are older as well, and they bring with them a lifetime of issues and assets."

Not that you would know Lindauer was even middle-aged: Though in his early 60s he could pass for his 40s, trim and athletic, reflecting his interest in walking, skiing and mountain climbing. (He still makes guide-assisted treks through the Alps.) What's more, his wife, Elaine Finbury, is a professor of historic preservation at Boston University, and together in the early 80s they acquired the historic home of 19th Century lawyer/politician Rufus Choate. The brilliant clapboard residence on Lynde Street (adjacent to the "Witch Dungeon" tourist attraction - "There's a lot of witch stuff around here") had become a boarding house; they restored it into well appointed offices now the home of several attorneys, around the corner from the Essex County Courthouse. The property is currently listed on the National Register of Historic places. The Lindauers have two grown children and are longtime residents of North Andover, Mass.