Milltown, N.J., native John DeBartolo is a productive and steady matrimonial attorney who is widely respected by his peers for his fundamental legal ability, his problem-solving skills and capable case management. The self-described "hands-on" attorney has run his own firm for 23 years. (His longtime partner, Bunce Atkinson, specializes in bankruptcy law.) As such, DeBartolo stands out as an independent practitioner who can tap many skills, including being powerfully diplomatic and, when he has to be, direct and resolute. After graduating from Boston University Law School, DeBartolo returned to New Jersey and clerked under Essex County Superior Court Judge Neil G. Duffy, handling primarily matrimonial cases. Then, after only two years of practice and not even 30 years old, DeBartolo went out on his own. Today, DeBartolo personally handles an array of divorce cases, some featuring ultra-complex commercial disputes while others involve straightforward support-and-custody negotiations.