Frank Louis, in his 30-plus years as a matrimonial lawyer, has played a central role in the development of the state's divorce laws. What's more, Louis is universally respected and admired by his peers, and as such is regarded among the top professionals in his field, in central New Jersey as well as statewide. Keenly observant, intellectually curious and low-key, Louis has long been known for his powerful mind and his handling of complex, high-profile cases. (He tarnished his reputation, however, by assisting a sitting judge on her own divorce matter; the judge was later suspended for ethics violations, according to 2014 news reports.) The Brooklyn native entered the law inspired by a sense of social justice in the wake of the tumultuous events of the late 1960s; out of law school he served as a clerk to an Ocean County family law judge, learning, he says, "what it takes to be a good lawyer." Over the years, Louis has addressed -- in his cases and in the legal community -- many defining issues, including business and asset valuation standards that are central to most of today's divorce cases. Today, thanks in part to his remarkable reputation, Louis faces an almost daily dilemma - he must turn away most of potential cases that come to him. "Being selective allows me to be a better lawyer," says Louis. "But it does permit me to become involved in intellectually challenging cases with interesting people."