With energy, tenacity and a street-smart attitude rare among most professionals in the law, Gerry Curran has become one of Northern Virginia's most successful divorce attorneys. Still in his 40s and a named partner of Shoun, Bach, Walinsky & Curran, P.C., the Philadelphia native is a seasoned litigator, and one of the Fairfax-based firm's go-to attorneys for complex, contentious cases. Curran's remarkably independent career path - of trying cases, first out of his apartment offices as a recent law-school graduate, and later from a small office - suggests a unique resourcefulness, drive and ambition. "My parents came from very little and were self-made through education and hard work. They instilled in my brothers and me an uncompromising work ethic." The son of a dentist and a psychiatrist, Curran attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in political science.

After graduation from Penn, Curran visited a friend in Los Angeles and decided to apply to law schools on the West Coast. ("I had seen the East Coast and wanted to try a completely different atmosphere"). He enrolled in the University of Southern California's Law Center. Back then divorce law was "the farthest thing from my mind" but from the start he loved the rough-and-tumble challenge of the courtroom. In many respects the role of fearless litigator has come naturally to Curran. Peers say he's tough, competitive and relentless. After graduating from USC, Curran moved briefly to Philadelphia, but moved to Washington when offered a position at a well known political organization. Unsatisfied, Curran left that job in less than a year. Wanting to enter the private practice of law, but without any contacts in the area, he quickly passed the Virginia State Bar, and launched a practice out of his apartment in Arlington, representing everyday folks in small commercial disputes and estate matters. Two years later he rented a small office in Falls Church, took on his first matrimonial cases, and soon gained a reputation as an aggressive advocate. Divorce and family law became his focus.

Four years later, Bob Shoun and Beverly Bach hired the energetic young Curran, helping to move their firm to an even higher level. Today it's one of the top matrimonial firms in the state, with four of its attorneys (including Curran) honored by inclusion in the nationally recognized compilation, The Best Lawyers in America. Curran credits his success to fortuitous timing: "Northern Virginia has grown exponentially in the years I've lived here. It seems like the population has at least doubled and the business climate is exceptionally vibrant." He remains somewhat surprised by all of it: "If you said I was going to be a divorce lawyer when I got out of law school, I would've said you were crazy." Easygoing, but with a fairly intense countenance (adding to an effective courtroom presence), Curran stays fit by lifting weights, running and martial arts training. He and his wife Susan enjoy the outdoors, and have spent considerable time hiking, fishing and rafting in the western U.S., most often in Montana and Wyoming. They live in Fairfax County.