Berkman, Barry

Bernard 'Bud' Berman is the senior member of the firm. He focuses his practice in the areas of Family Law (divorce, property distribution, support, custody, pre-nuptial agreements), personal injury, and civil and criminal litigation. He has also represented many clients in Workers Compensation, Social Security Disability, real estate transactions, and business contracts. His role as General Counsel to The Grand Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, a national organization, has taken him to many States in the US, as well as to Canada and the United Kingdom. Although his main focus is Delaware County, he has tried cases in Chester County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia and Bucks County, in Local, State and Federal Courts. He has served as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association in commercial, securities and personal injury matters, and has tried his clients' cases before American Arbitration Association panels.

Raised in Drexel Hill, Delaware County, PA, Mr. Berman graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1958 and was Valedictorian. While at Upper Darby, he was in a number of theater productions, was an editor of The Acorn, the weekly school newspaper, was a member of the wrestling and tennis teams, and was voted 'wittiest'. He has chaired and worked on many Reunion Committees for the class of 1958. Mr. Berman then attended Swarthmore College, and graduated in 1962. At Swarthmore, he was Sports Editor of The Phoenix, the College newspaper, the varsity wrestler at 126 pounds for three years, a member of Phi Sigma Kappa national fraternity, president of the Inter Fraternity Council, chairman of the college's Men's Judicial Committee, and a member of the Little Theater Club. Following Swarthmore College, Mr. Berman attended Columbia Law School in New York City, from which he graduated in 1965 with an LLB. He later received a Juris Doctor from Columbia.

While at law school, Mr. Berman married Mona, his high school sweetheart.  Married on June 7, 1964, they are celebrating 47 years of marriage. His civic and professional activities have included the Parks Commission of Nether Providence Township, Board of Directors of Congregation Ohev Shalom, President of the Simon Wolf Lodge and the Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware B'nai B'rith Council, Fee Dispute Resolution Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association, the Special Committee to Revise Rules of Civil Procedure, Lions Club, Jaycees. He is a member of the Court of Honor and is Past President of the Grand Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, a national college fraternity. He chairs the Risk Management and Insurance Committee for the fraternity. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of PSKP, Inc., a property holding and management non-profit organization.  Mr Berman is also a Trustee and Officer of the Loveladies Harbor Organization and is charged with rewriting the Rules and Regulations concerning construction of boat docks and lifts, and preventing hazards to navigation. He  is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Long Beach Island Foundation of Arts and Sciences and chairman of its By-Laws Committee.  In addition, Mr. Berman is a founding member of the Phi Sigma Kappa Properties, Inc., and a member of its Legal Committee.

Mr. Berman sails and races his 14 foot Catboat 'Cat Nip' on Barnegat Bay in New Jersey with Mona as his First Mate, assists Mona in keeping their garden on Long Beach Island beautiful, and plays tennis (his three-days-a-week doubles group is still going strong after more than 30 years). He and Mona have appeared together in theater productions of The Rose Valley Chorus and the Ohev Shalom Players.