Brian C. Vertz

Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
- Family Law (80%),
- Appellate (20%)
- Free Consultation
Brian C. Vertz is one of Pittsburgh's top divorce lawyers, with more than 25 years of experience in a full range of difficult and complex family law cases. As a partner of Pollock Begg, Brian is effective in resolving family law issues through skilled negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements, powerful courtroom skills, and persuasive advocacy in the appeals court. His clients feel confident because Brian dedicates himself completely to meeting their needs and objectives.
With an MBA degree and business valuation training in his background, Brian combines big-firm experience with the personal service of his focused boutique firm. He has a demonstrated aptitude for financial analysis, and has used his knowledge to benefit clients in divorce cases involving complex assets, professional practices, executive compensation, international custody, and matrimonial tax issues. He is trained in mediation and arbitration to resolve disputes out of court, and he is creative and tenacious in pursuing favorable settlements.
Brian has received frequent recognition of his experience and knowledge in the family law sphere. He is listed in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 2010, and was named 2019 Best Lawyer of the Year for family law in Pittsburgh. Brian is one of the four family lawyers named in the "Top 50 Lawyers in Pittsburgh" on Super Lawyers. Martindale Hubbell has awarded its AV-Preeminent, the highest rating.
Brian was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2003 and now serves as the Treasurer and Past President of the Pennsylvania Chapter. He is active at the national level as the co-chair of two committees and a lifetime member of the AAML Foundation. Brian is a board member and Secretary of the AAML Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping children and families in need. The Pennsylvania Bar Association has elected Brian to the Family Law Council and its Executive Committee. He is also a Certified Valuation Analyst, a designation conferred by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) for proficiency in business valuation.
Brian has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public service. He volunteers for Neighborhood Legal Services Association and donates to the Fellows Program of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation. As an officer of the AAML Foundation, he chairs the fundraising committee, which funds cash grants that are given to local children’s charities in 23 states. He writes prolifically and his articles have appeared in legal publications for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He was also a broadcast presenter and author for the annual Family Law Update (since 2006), and he has written legal education materials on business valuation, tax, child support, executive compensation, equitable distribution and marital settlement agreements. Twice he has contributed to amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court in cases involving children and families.
Brian C. Vertz is the author of a nationally-recognized legal treatise on divorce taxation, Frumkes & Vertz on Divorce Taxation. He shares information about divorce tax and financial strategy on his legal blog at FamilyLawTaxAlert.com.
*AV Preeminent is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories, legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 80%Family Law
- 20%Appellate
Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Prenuptial Agreements, Marital Property, Appeals
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About Brian Vertz
Admitted: 1992, Pennsylvania
Professional Webpage: https://www.pollockbegg.com/attorneys/brian-c-vertz/
Honors/Awards:
- Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2003 - Present, Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2020
- Named Best Lawyers Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh., 2019 Best Lawyer of the Year in Pittsburgh for family law, 2019
- Named to Best Lawyers in America lists for family law in 2019. , Best Lawyers in America , 2019
- Listed on the Top 50 Pittsburgh Super Lawyers list. , Top 50 on Pittsburgh Super Lawyers, 2018
- Chosen by judges and legal peers,, Best Lawyers In America, Naifeh and Smith, 2017
- Chosen by judges and legal peers, , Best Lawyers in America, Naifeh and Smith, 2016
- AV-Preeminent Rating, Martindale Hubbell Law Directory, 2017
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) - National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), 2006
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Treasurer & Imm. Past President, Pennsylvania Chapter, 2019
- Pennsylvania Bar Association - elected to Family Law Section Council and Executive Committee, 2017
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Arbitration Certification, 2013, 2013
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, 2005
- U.S. Circuit Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 1992
- Supreme Court of Georgia, 2006
Pro bono/Community Service:
- AAML Foundation - Treasurer and Board Member; Chair, Fundraising Committee; Member, Long Range Planning Committee; Member, Executive Committee - AAML Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) organization raising funds and making grants to local organizations that help children and families in need, particularly those affected by domestic violence and divorce., 2020
- Allegheny Co. Bar Foundation - Attorneys Against Hunger - committee member and volunteer - raising funds and serving meal in food pantries and soup kitchens for the underprivileged, 2019
- National Chair of the Amicus Committee, AAML, 2013-Present
- Former Area Governor, Toastmasters International
- ACLU Legal Committee, 1994
- Area 12 Governor - Toastmasters International (Pittsburgh), 2009
- Mellon Toastmasters, VP-Education, 2008
- Board of Trustees, Crafton Public Library
- Kiwanis Club of Pittsburgh, 2002
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- The leading national treatise on tax issues in divorce, Divorce Taxation is an indispensible reference book. Complicated rules can slow down your progress as you work your way through the taxation pitfalls and opportunities that abound in divorces. Frumkes and Vertz on Divorce Taxation quickly guides you through trouble spots and alerts you to potential tax savings in property distribution, support, and more. It offers on-target explanations, examples, specimen clauses, forms, checklists, tables, and other practical planning tools—all designed to reduce the work in divorce tax planning. , Author / Editor, Frumkes & Vertz on Divorce Taxation, James Publishing, Divorced Parents, Divorcing Couples, Family Lawyers, Separated Couples, 2019
- A black robe does not come with a crystal ball. No one, not even a judge, can predict the future. Yet that is what judges and divorce lawyers must do when they attempt to divide stock options, restricted stock, and other forms of incentive compensation in a divorce or support proceeding., Author, In the Money or Under Water? Capturing the Value of Incentive Compensation in Divorce, ABA Family Advocate, 2019
- Spouses negotiating alimony payments may try to pay less when the change takes effect because there will be no tax savings, some experts told the newspaper. Brian Vertz, a family law lawyer in Pittsburgh, said women are more likely to be hurt by the change as they negotiate divorce terms. “The repeal reduces the bargaining power of vulnerable spouses, mostly women, in achieving financial stability after a divorce,” Vertz told Politico., New tax law affects alimony, could spur divorce surge, ABA Journal, 2018
- Complicated rules can slow down your progress as you work your way through the taxation pitfalls and opportunities that abound in divorces. Frumkes and Vertz on Divorce Taxation quickly guides you through trouble spots and alerts you to potential tax savings in property distribution, support, and more. It offers on-target explanations, examples, specimen clauses, forms, checklists, tables, and other practical planning tools—all designed to reduce the work in divorce tax planning.This plain English manual walks you step-by-step through the most commonly arising trouble spots in property distribution, support, and more. It is intelligently organized and indexed, well supported with citations, and most important, loaded with practical advice., Author, Frumkes & Vertz on Divorce Taxation, James Publishing, 2018
- Mr. Vertz wrote and presented "Support Law Update 2011" before a live audience in Pittsburgh and more than 500 lawyers at 24 remote locations via satellite TV broadcast., Course Planner, Family Law Update 2011, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011, Author / Lecturer, Family Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2019
- Brian Vertz is an author of a chapter of the PBI book "Slicing the Pie: Equitable Distribution in Pennsylvania.", Author, Slicing the Pie: Equitable Distribution in Pennsylvania, 2015
- Speaker, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, "Valuing the Small Business in Divorce: Practice - Pointers – Pitfalls." 2012, Author / Lecturer, Valuing the Small Business in Divorce, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2012
- Author, Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, Volume XXXIV, No. 3. "Restrictive Custody Order Does Not Terminate Child Support Obligation." 2012., Author, Restrictive Custody Order Does Not Terminate Child Support Obligation, Pennsylvania Family Lawyer magazine, 2012
- Lecturer, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section Winter Meeting, "Hot Tips Regarding Ethical Dilemmas for the Family Law Attorney," and "Difficult Cases - Difficult Issues." 2012., Author / Teacher, Ethical Dilemmas for the Family Law Attorney, PA Bar Institute, 2012
- Brian C. Vertz recently spoke before the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges on the topic of “Creating Custody Orders that Meet the Developmental Needs of Children.” Judges Kathleen R. Mulligan, Lisette Shirdan-Harris (Philadelphia), and David Workman (Lancaster), and Dr. Eric Bernstein were also speakers for the conference., Lecturer, Pennsyvlania Conf. of State Trial Judges, 2011
- Author/Lecturer, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, "Slicing the Pie: Equitable Distribution in Pennsylvania." 2010, Co-Author, Slicing the Pie: Equitable Distribution in Pennsylvania, 2010
- This half-day program will discuss hot topics in divorce and business valuation, with Bob Grossman CPA and Melissa Bizyak CPA, Author, Broadcast Presenter/Host, Business Valuation and Divorce, PBI, Business Valuation, Divorce, 2009
- Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2008, Author / Teacher, Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, 2008
- Mr. Vertz wrote and presented "Support Law Update 2008" before a live audience in Pittsburgh and more than 500 lawyers at 24 remote locations via satellite TV broadcast., Course Planner, Family Law Update 2008, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2008
- Mr. Vertz wrote and presented "Child Support Provisions" for this hands-on seminar teaching lawyers to write marital settlement agreements., Author, Lecturer, Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements , Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2008
- Tax Consequences in Divorce: Avoiding the Pitfalls, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2005, Author / Lecturer, Tax Consequences in Divorce, 2005
- Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2003, Author / Lecturer, Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements, 2003
- Tax Traps for the Unwary!, National Constitution Center, 2007
- Co-Course Planner and Statewide Broadcast Presenter, Family Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2006 - 2011
- Author/Lecturer, Business Valuation and Divorce, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2009
- Author, "Equitable Distribution," Fundamentals of Family Law, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2009
- Author, "Equitable Distribution," Fundamentals of Family Law, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2006
- Author, "Equitable Distribution," Fundamentals of Family Law, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2004
- Co-Author, "Child Support, Spousal Support and Alimony Pendente Lite," Fundamentals of Family Law, PBI, 2002
- Co-Author, "Child Support, Spousal Support and Alimony Pendente Lite," Fundamentals of Family Law, PBI, 2006
- Co-Author, "Child Support, Spousal Support and Alimony Pendente Lite," Fundamentals of Family Law, PBI, 2004
- Co-Author, "Child Support, Spousal Support and Alimony Pendente Lite," Fundamentals of Family Law, PBI, 1996
- Co-Author, "Child Support, Spousal Support and Alimony Pendente Lite," Fundamentals of Family Law, PBI, 1994
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Monasky v. Taglieri - contributed to amicus brief submitted by American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in a U.S. Supreme Court case involving a child who was removed illegally from Italy in violation of the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, 2020
- Miller v. Miller - sustaining enforcement of a “binding mediation” agreement between spouses as a common law arbitration award, 2017
- Mackay v. Mackay (2009) - Superior Court of Pennsylvania - college support, 2009
- Gaboury v. Gaboury - 988 A.2d 672 - jurisdiction over divorce between resident and non-resident, 2008
- Kokolis v. Kokolis (2006) - alimony order was extended to compensate spouse after an injury prevented her from returning to work within the time frame contemplated at the time of the divorce, 2006
Transactions:
- Prenuptial Agreements - protecting family businesses, premarital property, inheritance, professional practices, 2019
- Settlement Agreements - divorce settlements involving property division, alimony, business succession, 2020
Representative Clients:
- Executives - C-Suite (CEO, CFO, CIO), Mid-Level, Managers, Officers, 2020
- Licensed Professionals (Physicians, Dentists, Financial Service Professionals, Lawyers, Accountants, Engineers), 2020
- Parents (International and Pennsylvania) - high conflict custody cases, relocation, custody contempt, Hague Convention removal, 2019
- Business Owners - LLC Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, Corporations, S Corporations, Sole Proprietorships, 2019
Videos:
- Pittsburgh divorce attorney Brian C. Vertz of family law firm Pollock Begg Komar Glasser & Vertz LLC has been selected by his peers and named Best Lawyers 2019 Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh., Brian C. Vertz, Best Lawyers 2019 Family Law, "Lawyer of the Year" in Pittsburgh, 2018
Educational Background:
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) - University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1992
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), B.A. in English Language and Literature, Minor in Economics, 1988
- Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, M.B.A. in Management Economics and Law, 1992
Industry Groups
- Business Owners
- Executives
- Family Wealth
- High Net Worth
- International Custody
- Professional Practices
Brian C. Vertz:
Last Updated: 2/2/2021