EDITOR'S NOTE: Sandy Dranoff passed away in April 2012 at the age of 78. He was "a real lion in his time" according to lawyers who continue to practice in Rockland and Westchester Counties. Full bio below.

Sandy Dranoff, retired as of 2010, was a paragon of the matrimonial bar in New York State - he set standards of leadership in the field long before divorce law attracted throngs of other attorneys. Widely regarded a capable trial lawyer, he's also a memorable personality - wise, insightful and eminently quotable. One of the longest-running practitioners in the field, the New York City native graduated from law school in 1954 and passed the bar shortly thereafter; He went to work for renowned criminal attorney Otto Fusco ("He was tough in a courtroom - I got my style from him.") and moved to Rockland County in the late 1950s. His interests - and his outgoing personality - drew him to politics, and for 45 years he has served as counsel to the Rockland Republican Party. Among other positions he served as Assistant State Attorney General in the Election Fraud Unit, in the late 1950s. By the 1970s Dranoff was focusing on matrimonial law, and as new divorce laws hit the books (laws he helped formulate, serving on a key legislative committee), Dranoff led the way - interpreting, arguing and educating. He has enjoyed many professional associations over the years and most recently Dranoff joined the Piermont, New York firm managed by his son, ("My boss is my son!"). Dranoff continues as a leader of New York's matrimonial bar. Dranoff lives with his wife of 49 years in Suffern, New York.