Attorney Profile

Brian C. Vertz

Brian C. Vertz

Brian Vertz

Pollock Begg Komar Glasser LLC
437 Grant Street, Suite 501
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact Contact Brian C. Vertz
T: 412-471-9000
F: 412-471-9001

Visit: www.bvsource.com
Practice areas: Family Law (90%), Appellate (10%)
Industry Groups: Appeals, Child Support, Division Of Marital Property, Divorce, Prenuptial Agreements, Settlement, Spousal Support, Valuation Of Businesses And Professional Practices

Profile

Brian C. Vertz is a Pittsburgh family lawyer experienced in resolving divorce, child support, division of marital property, alimony, spousal support, prenuptial agreements, settlements and appeals. He has dedicated his law practice exclusively to family law as a Partner of Pollock Begg Komar Glasser LLC in Pittsburgh. Mr. Vertz is listed in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In his law practice, Mr. Vertz combines big firm experience with the personal service and attention that his clients expect from a matrimonial boutique firm. He has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 2003 and a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for family law since 2005. He is also an Accredited Valuation Analyst, conferred by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) for proficiency in business valuation. He maintains a website and blog on business and financial issues in divorce at www.bvsource.com.

Selected to:

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2009
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2008
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2007
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2006
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2005

About Brian Vertz

Admitted: 1992, Pennsylvania

Professional Webpage: www.bvsource.com/about/brian-vertz

Honors and Awards: In 2010, Brian C. Vertz was listed in The Best Lawyers in America, one of the oldest and most-respected directories of the leading attorneys in the United States., The Best Lawyers in America, White/Woodward, Inc., 2010, In 2006, Mr. Vertz received his AVA certification from NACVA, the National Association of Valuation Analysts. To earn this designation, Mr. Vertz was required to meet the organization's education and experience requirements. He was also tested for proficiency in business valuation methods and required to submit a case study applying those methods for peer review. The requirements for an AVA designation are the same as the requirements for a CVA designation, which is reserved for certified public accountants. NACVA is the one of the leading organizations for business valuation experts in the United States., Accredited Valuation Analyst (AVA), National Assoc. of Certified Valuation Analysts, 2006
Special Licenses/Certifications: Accredited Valuation Analyst (AVA) - National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), 2006, Licensed to practice in the State of Georgia, 2006, Elected Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2003, Pennsylvania Bar Association - recognized for organizing the CLE programs for Family Law Section Summer and Winter Meetings, 2001, Licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, 1999
Bar/Professional Activity: Council Member, PBA Family Law Section , 2001, Allegheny County Bar Association Family Law Section, Council Member, 2000, American Inns of Court - Treasurer/Secretary, 1994
Pro bono/Community Service: Area 12 Governor - Toastmasters International (Pittsburgh), 2009, Mellon Toastmasters, VP-Education, 2008, Kiwanis Club of Pittsburgh, 2002, ACLU Legal Committee, 1994
Scholarly Lectures and Writings: Brian Vertz will be authoring a chapter of the upcoming book "Equitable Distribution of Marital Property" (PBI 2010)., Author, Equitable Distribution of Marital Property, 2009, 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, 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
Educational Background: Juris Doctor - University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1992, MBA - University of Pittsburgh (Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business), 1991, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), AB in English Language and Literature, 1988

Map Location

Latest from Brian C. Vertz's Blog
Official PA Child Support Calculator
 
Sneak Preview: 2009 PBI Family Law Update
 
Jon + Kate: When Can Spouse Withdraw Money from Joint Accounts?
 
Seven Myths about Divorce
 
Penna. Child Support Law Not Pre-Empted by Social Security Act, Court Holds
 
Spousal Spying: Is it a Crime?
White Papers

Sad About Divorcing? It Will Get Better with Time (2009)

It’s natural to feel sad about divorcing. A marital separation or divorce can bring changes that cause stress or discomfort, at least for a while. Yet, recent research by a Harvard psychology professor has shown that the human brain contains a built-in capacity to recover happiness in a relatively short time. Prof. Daniel Gilbert is the author of the book “Stumbling on Happiness” (Random House 2007). Professor Gilbert has done extensive research of the frontal lobe cortex, the area of the human brain that generates our imagination. One thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to imagine experiences we haven’t actually had and judge whether those experiences might be good or bad. But our imagination is flawed. When we imagine what might happen to us, we usually misjudge how good or bad an experience might be. Here’s the hopeful part: when bad things happen to us, our frontal lobe cortex is programmed to “synthesize” happiness in a short period of time. Professor Gilbert found that survivors of catastrophic illnesses were just as happy as million-dollar lottery winners after the crisis period had passed. In fact, most people who have experienced bad events return to normal levels of happiness in an average of three months. More research from Prof. Gilbert: The “synthetic” happiness that our brains create when we recover from bad experiences is just as real and satisfying as the “natural” happiness we feel when good things happen. You might think that we are just fooling ourselves when our brains make lemonade from sour lemons, but Professor Gilbert’s studies show that synthetic happiness is just as good as “real” happiness. The moral of the story? We must keep hope alive as we are surviving a crisis period, like a marital separation or divorce. Our minds tend to exaggerate the good that we remember in the past and over-emphasize the bad when we imagine the future. Knowing that our minds will naturally return us to happiness, we can better survive the change.

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