Patricia E. Hennessey

Patricia E. Hennessey is a partner at Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan, LLP, in New York, New York, where she practices matrimonial and family law. Her work encompasses trial and appellate advocacy in complex equitable distribution and support matters, sensitive custody disputes, and the drafting and negotiation of separation agreements that account for both financial and personal considerations.

With nearly three decades of courtroom experience, Ms. Hennessey has tried and argued appeals in a wide array of matrimonial matters since 1987. Ms. Hennessey is often called upon for cases that demand careful presentation of financial and custodial issues, and her courtroom record reflects a consistent ability to secure resolution while minimizing unnecessary litigation.

Before turning her attention fully to family law, Ms. Hennessey began her legal career as a federal antitrust litigator. Her academic foundation includes a J.D. from New York University School of Law (1979), where she was both a Root‑Tilden Scholar and an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow, and a B.A. from Hampshire College (1976). Ms. Hennessey also served as the inaugural director of Hampshire’s Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program in the early 1980s.

An active contributor to legal scholarship and education, Ms. Hennessey co‑authored pieces such as “Is The Law Male?” (Chicago‑Kent L. Rev., 1994) and “Valuation of Property in Marital Dissolutions” (23 ABA Family Law Quarterly 339). She has taught as an adjunct at New York University School of Law, Columbia University Law School, and Cardozo Law School and has lectured at venues that include Yale, Columbia and NYU.

Active in bar governance, Ms. Hennessey has held leadership roles in local bar associations and has earned peer recognition for legal ability and ethics. She has maintained an AV Preeminent* peer-review rating through Martindale‑Hubbell for more than a decade and is widely acknowledged in professional listings for her sustained contributions to matrimonial practice.

Practical problem-solving guides Ms. Hennessey’s approach to client representation: she emphasizes measured counsel, thoughtful negotiation and strategic advocacy calibrated to each family’s needs. Outside of the courtroom, she continues to influence the field through writing and teaching and remains committed to mentoring younger attorneys.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.