Widely respected by his peers, Vincent Stempel is one of the most successful independent divorce lawyers on Long Island today. Over more than two decades he has a remarkable record of legal successes, both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table, peers say. Two years ago he joined forces with Michael LoFrumento and Jeffrey Catterson to create SCL Law Group.

A Long Island native and St. John’s graduate (he was a manager of the school’s nationally ranked basketball and football programs), Stempel began his legal career in tax law. Within two years he’d been hired by a prominent Long Island divorce attorney, who showed faith in him early and sent him into the courtroom to litigate key cases.

That experience primed him for handling increasingly complex, contested divorces - and in 1990, at only 32, he launched his own practice. From there, Stempel has continued to build a reputation for solid preparation and courtroom performance.

In the mid-90s, Stempel received widespread notoriety for handling a custody fight over frozen “pre-embryos” based on the logic that the frozen “pre-embryos,” like children, were created during the marriage.

Now in his professional prime, always cheerful and personable, Stempel has served as chair of the state bar’s family law section. He has published various articles in the area of matrimonial law and appeared as a divorce law expert on many radio and television shows, including “Good Morning America,” “Inside Edition,” “Prime Time Court TV,” and CNN.

Stempel handles a growing number of challenging and complex cases each year. Assisted by two associates and two administrators, Mr. Stempel is based in Garden City.