Fifty-year-old Michael Bertin is widely regarded today as one of the top family lawyers in the state of Pennsylvania. From early in his career he’s enjoyed a series of successes and achievements that, many peers say, have put him at the forefront of family law. For starters, over the last two decades he’s taken on some of the most difficult child custody cases, complex divorce matters, and high income support cases in the five-county Philadelphia area, as well as throughout the state. As a result, Bertin has assumed some of the highest-profile leadership roles and awards in family law; he was awarded the prestigious Lawyer of the Year award for Eastern Pennsylvania by the Best Lawyers in America in 2021. He was elected to chair of the state-wide Family Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and has been elected Chair of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. In mid 2024 he will serve as President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is co-author of the legal textbook, titled Pennsylvania Child Custody Law, used regularly throughout the state by judges and lawyers alike. Over his career Bertin has represented a wide range of clients - from the wealthiest litigants with complex financial matters and large estates, to those clients seeking a straightforward divorce. He says he devotes all his energy to understanding the client as a person - and achieving for the client the best possible results.

In addition to having a unique ability to negotiate and settle difficult cases out of court, Bertin is known for his courtroom effectiveness and demeanor. A prime example: Bertin won the most famous child-support case in Pennsylvania in decades, a unanimous decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that permanently amended the state’s high-income support laws. As a result, Bertin gained a national reputation, representing, among others, NFL football players in high-income support cases.

For the past 20 of his 23 years as a lawyer, Bertin has practiced at the well-known firm of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel. He’s been a partner at the firm for 13 years, and today he serves as the co-chair of the 20-lawyer family law department. By his own estimation, Bertin says he’s the product of many influences: They include his father, The Honorable Emanuel A. Bertin, retired state court judge, who was a prominent family law attorney prior to being elected to the bench in 1995, and Robert I. Whitelaw, former managing partner of Obermayer, who mentored Bertin.

Bertin grew up in the Maple Glen area of Montgomery County outside of Philadelphia. He was the co-captain of the high-powered Upper Dublin High School swim team. During that time Bertin discovered that he had a flair for public speaking when he delivered an emotional and memorable speech at the swim team banquet for both the boys and girls teams, attended by parents, team members, friends, faculty, and coaches, which had the audience laughing and crying at the same time. He says his passion for public speaking carried through to his major of Communications Rhetoric (including public speaking) at the University of Pittsburgh and, later, at Temple University School of Law in his trial advocacy classes and litigation clinical program.

While in law school, Bertin says he loved his numerous family law courses and was awarded by his professors at graduation with the Eric D. Turner Award from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, recognizing him as the best family law student at the law school. “Winning that award, along with growing up in a family law household, made it feel like it was my destiny to become a family lawyer.”

Bertin today says he enjoys giving back to the family law community through lectures and writings. “I’ve been told by both family lawyers and non-family lawyers how much they enjoy reading my bi-monthly articles in The Legal Intelligencer. That’s what makes it all worth it.” And he says he’s most proud of striking a healthy balance between his work and home life – something many high-achieving lawyers often struggle to do. Bertin and his wife have two teenage children. Bertin has coached for his son’s travel soccer team for many years and is the legal advisor for his daughter’s high school mock trial team.