Avery B. Goodman was born and raised in New York and is now a resident of Florida. As a licensed attorney, he has practiced in various areas of law at different points in his career, and now concentrates in cases involving financial institutions and securities matters. He holds a bachelor's degree from Emory University concentrated on history and economics, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles Law School.

Licensed to practice law in several jurisdictions, including New York State and Florida, he also serves as a neutral arbitrator for the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Over a period of several years, he became privy to a set of disturbing real world facts that inspired the debut novel, "The Synod."