Nixon, Joseph M.

The eye of opportunity sees a way to win.

One thing stands out about Jim Nemia, even more than his formidable legal skills. That's his ability to see opportunity for achieving successful outcomes, where others find nothing but roadblocks. It's a gift only the most talented trial attorneys and negotiators possess, and is something of a rarity among New York divorce lawyers.

Whether it's a matrimonial, family law, domestic violence, or even a business or estates case, Jim is committed to getting a superior result for every client. "The best deals are those where clients get everything they can within the scope of the law, and if possible, avoid the cost, burden and expense of litigation. A lot of times, you can do better at the negotiating table than in court. And when a case is settled, it should be finished and free of future problems," he says.

Never satisfied with less than an excellent conclusion, Nemia believes in carefully refining an approach that's tailored to the unique needs of each client's case. Especially with complicated fact situations, this resourceful edge often rescues the day.

As the divorce lawyer representing a renowned surgeon, Jim negotiated a $1,000,000 settlement on his behalf. When domestic violence and other charges were filed against his client, Jim sprung into action, and immediately got the criminal case against him dismissed. In addition to winning a major monetary concession to compensate his client for professional losses that resulted from these false allegations, he also got his child support commitment reduced by half.

Guarding the rights of clients in divorce and family law cases involving domestic violence, spousal abuse and child abuse is high priority for Jim. In representing the wife of a savage alcoholic, he argued for the court to impose special visitation restrictions to protect her child. The father had been in rehab four times, lied to his wife and demonstrated a continual pattern of instability.

Mr. Nemia convinced the judge to order supervised visitation, requiring a social worker to be present any time the father spent time with the child. "Sometimes in these cases, the most important work in safeguarding clients and their children starts after the restraining order has been issued," he says.

Jim has also been highly successful in restoring custody of children to parents where children have been removed by child services agencies. These cases require a unique skill-set in communicating effectively with the court and numerous attorneys involved, and often with forensic experts whose opinions may be crucial to a favorable disposition.

While Jim always looks to conserve client resources by negotiating advantageous settlements, he brings the fire of a warrior's heart to the courtroom. With an extraordinary command of all the variables that can be marshaled to prove a case, he uses each as a sharp, swift arrow aimed at a favorable decision. He hits the bull's-eye consistently, as evidenced by his impressive track record of success at trial.

Jim's familiarity with winning is something commercial clients particularly appreciate. Acting as corporate counsel to several thriving enterprises, his focus is always on providing legal protection in a way that facilitates expansion plans, and integrates well with business goals. His experience in representing businesses has also been a major benefit to those who retain the firm on divorce matters, when various types of companies included in marital property need to be equitably divided.

Generous by nature, Jim devotes much of his free time to charitable causes. He and his family have graciously attended to the needs of nursing home residents and soup kitchen guests for many years.

Jim graduated from the University of South Florida, achieving the prestigious Dean's and President's List awards. He received his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law in New York. He's a guitar enthusiast and a lifelong athlete, and loves jamming with musician friends, along with hiking, skiing, tennis and swimming. A devoted family man, he and his wife have six children.