Officers

SHARI R. GORDON 
President

shari@srgesq.com

Shari Gordon has dedicated her legal career to helping others for 40 years. Founder of the Law Offices of Shari R. Gordon in 2003, Shari concentrates her practice on matrimonial litigation, collaborative divorce and mediation, and criminal defense. Shari has an extensive background in criminal defense as a former Senior Staff Trial Counsel with the Criminal Defense Division of the Legal Aid Society in the Bronx, New York. For over two decades, she has been a member of the Assigned Counsel Felony and Misdemeanor Panels for the City of New York, First Judicial Department, and Westchester and continues to serve in that capacity.

Shari takes pride in providing pro bono legal representation for United States Veterans as well as acting as a mentor to law students at the Elizabeth Haub School of Law of Pace University.

Shari assisted in the preparation of, and was acknowledged by the author of the four-volume treatise, “New York Matrimonial Law and Practice”, by Timothy M. Tippins, Esq.

A Phi Beta Kappa from SUNY Stony Brook in 1982, she went on to attend Union University at Albany Law School, where she earned the Gabrielli Best Brief Award before graduating with her Jurist Doctorate in 1985.

Shari is admitted to the New York State Bar, the Eastern and Southern District Courts of the State of New York, and the United States Supreme Court. Shari cares deeply about advancing and protecting the social, economic and legal status of women through the law, and promoting justice for all, regardless of gender, a key part of mission of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association (WWBA) and the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY). Her commitment to these values motivated her service as Co-Chair of the Health and Reproductive Rights Committee of WBASNY for fourteen years to work tirelessly for the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, Comprehensive Contraception Control Act, and Child Parent Security Act. Shari was also the WBASNY liaison to the NY Alliance for Women’s Health. For ten years, Shari served as Co-Chair of the Families, Children and Court’s Committee for the WWBA. She has also served on the WWBA’s Judicial Screening Committee.

Shari has been a leader in WBASNY serving as Vice President for two terms from 2021 to 2023. For the WWBA, Shari has served as Vice President, President Elect and will serve as President for the 2026-2027 term. She has served as a Director of the WWBA Board for seven terms and as the State Director for the WWBA for five terms.

In 2022, Shari was appointed to and continues to serve on the Ninth Judicial District Committee to Promote Gender Fairness in the Courts, a local arm of the New York State Judicial Committee on Women in the Court.

From 2009 to 2012 she served as Program Chair for the Summer Justice Academy for Young Women founded by the Hon. La Tia W. Martin, J.S.C. (ret.) and continues to lecture for the Academy. Renamed the Scales of Justice Academy, which is held at the Elizabeth Haub School of Law, the Academy exposes high school girls from local underserved schools to legal training and critical legal analysis taught by law school professors, judges and lawyers, specializing in areas such as cyber bullying, civil and criminal procedure and criminal law, family law and ethics.

Shari hosted the radio program “The First Friday Program”, WVOX 1460 AM, with the late Hon. Kevin Quaranta which focused on current legal issues featuring prominent legal figures including Judges, elected officials and prominent lawyers.

Shari resides with her husband Barry Cash in Mahopac. She has two adult sons, Samuel and Noah.

NATANYA BRIENDEL

Vice President

tanyabriendel@gmail.com

Ms. Briendel is a Supervising Attorney at the Pace Women’s Justice Center where she runs its Uncontested Divorce Program. She is a member of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association where she has served as Co-Chair the Domestic Violence Committee and currently is Co-Chair of the Programs Committee, Reproductive Health Rights Committee and Legislative Committee. She is a member of the Westchester Women’s Agenda Reproductive Rights Committee and Chair of the Woodlands Community Temple Reproductive Rights Justice Task Force. Previously she was an Adjunct Professor at Mercy College (now Mercy University) where she taught Constitutional Law/Criminal Justice, Criminal Procedure and Introduction to Family Violence.

SAKEENA B. NAQVI 

Vice President

sakeena@pwscottlaw.com

Sakeena B. Naqvi was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in Canada. After obtaining a degree in Psychology and her legal degree from the University of Manitoba, Sakeena moved to New York. With a passion and personal interest in immigration, she started practicing Immigration and Nationality law. Sakeena worked at various immigration law firms in New York before joining the Scott Law Firm as an Associate in August 2022. Her primary areas of practice are employment-based and family-based immigration cases.

As an active member of the New York Westchester Women’s Bar Association, she is Co-Chair of their Professional Development Committee and runs the Women in Professional Transition Committee, where she organizes programming to provide advice, services, and support to committee members. Sakeena also serves as Chair of WBASY's Equal Opportunity in the Profession Committee and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

In her spare time, Sakeena enjoys travelling, martial arts, reading, watching basketball, and time with family and friends.

MICHELLE E. TARSON

Vice President

mtarson@staggwabnik.com

Michelle is Senior Counsel at Stagg Wabnik Law Group LLP. She is a commercial litigator who primarily represents financial institutions in cases involving state and federal law, including consumer protection statutes and the Uniform Commercial Code. She practices in New York and New Jersey state and federal courts, as well as arbitration forums.

Michelle is the Archive and History Committee co-chair, where she dedicates time to preserving the history of the WWBA from its formation to present day. She is also co-chair of the Corporate & Commercial Committee. Prior to becoming VP, Michelle twice served as a WWBA State Director to WBASNY. She served on the WBASNY Nominations Committee and is a member of the WBASNY Legacy Project, which is conducting interviews of various pioneering attorneys about their involvement in the formation of chapters and the early days of WBASNY.

She is an active member of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Attorney Well-Being committee and serves as a moot court judge for law students at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Michelle received her B.A. from Binghamton University and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

NORMA I. LOPEZ

Treasurer

treasurer@wwbany.org

Ms. Lopez is a Principal Attorney at the Attorney Grievance Committee. She has litigated disciplinary matters for over 14 years. She also served as a Court Attorney in the law department for the 9th JD. Ms. Lopez has extensive trial experience and began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. After serving in the District Attorney’s Office for six years she went on to expand her litigation experience in the civil sector before returning to serve the public in governmental positions. She received a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Ms. Lopez is the treasurer and co-chair of the Grievance and Ethics Committee for the Westchester Women’s Bar Association. She is also an active member of various bar associations, including the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association, Westchester Black Bar Association and Westchester County Bar Association.

DANIELA ISRAELOV 

Corresponding Secretary

daniela@israelovlaw.com

Daniela Israelov is an attorney concentrating in family and matrimonial law in Westchester County and the surrounding areas.

Before founding her own practice, Daniela spent more than a decade with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, where she began as a staff attorney representing survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, and sexual assault. In 2020, she was promoted to Supervising Attorney, overseeing attorneys in both the Family Law and Immigration Units.

Daniela earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from University at Albany. She is an active member of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association, where she previously served as Recording Secretary and currently serves as Corresponding Secretary. She also co-chairs the Families, Children, and the Courts Committee.

Earlier in her career, Daniela volunteered with the NYC Anti-Violence Project and the New York State Access to Justice Program for Uncontested Divorces. She is a certified Rape Crisis Counselor and has served as both a Hospital Advocate and Hotline Advocate with Victims Assistance Services. Daniela is also a certified mediator.

MAURA K. DENNEHY

Recording Secretary 

mauradennehyesq@gmail.com

Maura K. Dennehy graduated summa cum laude from Quinnipiac University in 2006 and earned her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 2009. Since 2010, she has practiced at The Law Office of Neveen M. Nesheiwat, where she has learned to be a strong and dedicated advocate for her clients. Her primary areas of practice are matrimonial and family law.

Outside of her legal practice, Maura serves as President of a nonprofit organization that operates a sleepaway camp free from digital technology, where children and teens explore the values of peace, community, and music through shared experiences. In the spare time she can find, Maura enjoys reading, crafting, and enthusiastically supporting her nieces’ and nephew’s artistic and athletic pursuits.

Through her service as a State Director, Maura gained valuable insight and experience, and she looks forward to serving the Westchester Women's Bar Association as Recording Secretary.