Surratt Law, Our Team
Kimberly M. Surratt
Kimberly Surratt has a license to practice law in both Nevada and California. She began her legal career in 2002 in insurance defense before transitioning into family law only one year later and she opened Surratt Law Practice in 2007. She has now practiced for twenty years and has had her firm for 15 years, crazy how time flies.
In 2004, Kimberly Surratt had her first surrogacy matter. She has immersed herself in assisted reproduction law, parentage, and adoption. She has lobbied all the reproductive law changes in Nevada to date, including a major change in insurance law mandating surrogacy coverage. Kimberly Surratt became a fellow with the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys in 2010 and today she is on the board of trustees for the Academy. Kimberly Surratt’s extensive knowledge in family law, parentage law and surrogacy has allowed her to speak on both the national and international level to people who want . She has a passion.
Kimberly Surratt served for eight years on the executive council and has been the vice chair and then chair of the State Bar of Nevada Family Law Section. In addition, she is a Past President of the Nevada Justice Association having served on their board since 2013. She has lobbied with the Nevada Justice Association since 2004. Her lobbying career is long, but she has worked on bills such as Nevada Domestic Partnerships, the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, post-adoption contact agreements, a complete rewrite of all surrogacy statutes, and numerous other family law, reproductive and adoption statutes.
In her free time, Kim enjoys her son and her partner, golfs, gardens, loves the outdoors, rides horses and volunteers for many different organizations.
Melissa L. Exline
Melissa L. Exline has been practicing law in Nevada for over 20 years. Sparks, Nevada is her hometown. Prior to law school, Melissa graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a dual degree in Philosophy and Political Science. Her work now spans multiple areas of law, but with the same goal – helping families and making sure the ones you love are cared for and protected. Sometimes, this requires negotiating settlements in custody or divorce cases, or, taking a case to trial so you have your chance to look the judge in the eye and say what you feel is fair. Melissa walks with you in this process. It can be emotional, but Melissa prides herself on being able to explain complicated matters and guide you along the way with dignity.
When Melissa helps people with their estate plans, she is trying it create a situation to make life easier for the family. Having properly crafted documents can save a family from stress and needless time in probate court. Again, it is about caring. Working with people in family law and estate planning means Melissa has an opportunity to truly help people. The issues are not “just business” or a simple dispute about money. It is about people’s lives and meeting their needs – and the clients she works with know her work matters.
Melissa has taught many classes on family law, is a member of the Family Law Executive Counsel and VP of Nevada Collaborative Divorce Professionals. Melissa is married to Nathan Exline (and his family of dedicated Wolf Pack fans). They share three children. The Exline family enjoy Disney, camping, hiking, spending time at Lake Tahoe, and downhill skiing.
Travis H. Clark
Travis is a native of the Reno/Sparks area. After graduating from Edward C. Reed High School in 1999, Travis attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. Upon graduation Travis returned to the Reno/Sparks area and begin a career in Marketing. Travis worked diligently as the Marketing Coordinator for a local pet product manufacturer from 2004 to 2009. Desiring more from his professional career, in 2009 Travis made the decision to attend McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. After Graduating at the top of his class in May of 2012, Travis was admitted to the California Bar that same year.
After graduation, Travis clerked for the Honorable Thomas L. Stockard and Honorable Robert E. Estes in The Tenth Judicial District Court located in Churchill County. In Churchill, Travis presided as Special Master over Judgment Debtor Examinations, fulfilled the role of Bailiff in all court proceedings and worked with the Judges to issue timely and meaningful opinions.
In July of 2013, Travis returned to Reno to clerk for the Honorable N. Patrick Flanagan where he had the unique opportunity to work closely with a renowned Judge of impressive tenure. This experience gave him a unique understanding of the Washoe Court system and experience within the Northern Nevada legal arena. Travis was admitted to the practice of law in Nevada in 2014.
Travis was named one of Nevada’s Elite Up and Coming Attorneys and received the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Northern Nevada award from Nevada Legal Services for his pro-bono work in 2016. Travis was recently appointed to the Nevada State Bar Disciplinary panel for the north where he and a panel preside over attorney discipline matters.
As a fifth generation local Nevadan Travis represents his clients with intelligence, zeal and compassion. While divorce might not be unique, it is unique to you. Travis offers services in pre-divorce and post-divorce litigation, estate planning, and mediation.
Abigail L. Jaquette
Abigail L. Jaquette is proud to be a native Nevadan, having been born and raised in Carson City. She owes her passion for helping families during times of crisis to her father, who practiced family law for over forty years. Abby attended college at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she received a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in French, degrees she received with high distinction and with an emphasis in Economics and Marketing.
Abby received her Juris Doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude in 2010. During law school, Abby completed an externship for the Honorable Tari S. Eitzen at the Spokane County Superior Court and served as a Guardian Ad Litem through the CASA program at the Spokane Juvenile Court, where she volunteered as an advocate for abused and neglected children.
Upon graduation from law school, Abby returned to Northern Nevada to complete a clerkship for the Honorable James Wilson, Jr. at the First Judicial District Court, where she gained knowledge and experience in both criminal and civil matters. After her clerkship, Abby practiced in the areas of civil defense litigation and appellate law and worked for the Attorney General in the Special Prosecutions Division. Abby joined Banales & Associates in 2014, where she represented clients in all areas of family law.
In 2016, Abby welcomed an opportunity in public service at the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office. She joined the office as a Deputy District Attorney in the Child Welfare Division, where she represented the Washoe County Human Services Agency in its efforts to protect the abused and neglected children of our community. In 2018, Abby was recruited to the Criminal Division, where she successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases to conviction. Abby joined Surratt Law Practice in February 2021 and became a member of the Nevada Family Law Executive Council in 2022.
Abby is certified in basic mediation and strives to settle her cases, but as a former prosecutor, she can zealously advocate for her clients in the courtroom. Abby’s personal experience with divorce and co-parenting provides her clients with an attorney who truly understands the emotional waves associated with family law litigation. Her two young children keep her very busy outside of work. Together they enjoy just being outside and the beauty of Lake Tahoe.
Dawn Kaufman
Dawn Kaufman is Kimberly Surratt’s paralegal and the office manager of Surratt Law Practice. Dawn was raised in Texas, but has spent most of her life in the Truckee Meadows. She has been married for over 33 years and they have 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren. Dawn has been working as a paralegal since 2001. Dawn began working with Kimberly Surratt in 2004 and assisted her with opening Surratt Law Practice in 2007. Since then, Surratt Law Practice has grown into the wonderful and caring family law office this it is today. Dawn works directly with Kimberly on Assisted Reproduction family/parentage matters and believes that it is a rewarding feeling to assist clients in growing their families and being the “light” at the end of their fertility struggles tunnel.
When she is not working, she enjoys camping, kayaking and spending as much time as she can with her family and friends.
Dawn Kaufman states: “Our attorneys and staff work extremely hard to provide the best service for our clients. We approach each case individually and craft solutions tailored to meet the needs of our clients”.
Heather Dillard
Heather Dillard was born in the South and spent her early childhood in Georgia. She moved to Reno when she was eleven with her family. Despite being from the South, she calls Reno home and couldn’t imagine living elsewhere. Heather has been working in family law since 2005 and with Surratt Law Practice since 2010, where she has worked with family and estate planning matters.
Heather uses her multitasking and customer service skills to help families in transition by providing support to the clients and the attorneys. From uncontested divorce matters to complex litigation cases, she is involved from beginning to end. Heather assists clients by providing regular contact and updates, helping manage the discovery process, maintaining case deadlines and calendars and drafting pleadings and letters. She helps clients navigate emotional and often overwhelming situations with compassion and understanding.
In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, camping, traveling, gardening, and caring for the family pets and farm animals.
Carmen L. Luna
Paralegal, Carmen L. Luna, joined the Surratt Law Practice team in December 2019. Carmen brings nine years of paralegal experience to SLP along with her extensive experience in management. Carmen’s transition to being a family law paralegal was a natural one. She enjoys helping and assisting clients with what sometimes may be their most difficult times and guide them through their personal and legal processes. She takes pride in giving clients her utmost professionalism, care, and simply lending a listening ear. Carmen’s approach both professionally and personally is to make something better than how she finds it. As said by C.S. Lewis, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Katie Allen
Katie Allen was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, where she graduated from McQueen High School and the University of Nevada, Reno. While attending college, she started her career as a legal assistant/paralegal and has been working as a legal assistant/paralegal since 2015. In November of 2021, Katie was brought on to the Surratt Law team to be the estate planning paralegal. With her assistance, clients can feel comfortable making the hard decisions necessary to protect their assets and to simplify procedures pertaining to estate planning.
Katie is married and has two young daughters. She enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family. Together they enjoy going camping, hiking, gardening, and reading books.
Rosalie Larsen
Rosalie joined the firm in 2022. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 2000 with a BA in Political Science. She began her career as a Paralegal in California in Environmental Law and earning her Paralegal certificate in 2001. After 3 years, she decided to leave Environmental Law and begin her journey as a Litigation Paralegal for the next 10 years in CA.
Rosalie then decided to leave the law behind and commit herself full time to Rescue working with Furry Friends Rescue in Fremont, CA. She loved working with dogs so much and doing all the temperament testing for dogs in shelters, that she attended Animal Behavioral College and completed her certificate as a dog trainer in 2010. She moved to Nevada in 2013 and She became a certified dog trainer through Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT) in 2014. But never lost her interest in the law and finally left dog training behind and to join Surratt Law Practice.
When Carmen is not slaying legal dragons, she enjoys surrounding herself with her family and friends, entertaining with a glass of wine in her hand, reading mindless fiction, also with a glass of wine in her hand, and living an active life.
