L Jed Berliner

L. Jed Berliner has been dedicated to the practice of bankruptcy, commercial litigation, creditors' rights, and debtor's remedies since 1982, with his legal career commencing in 1976. Since 1988, he has been at the helm of the Berliner Law Firm in Springfield, Massachusetts, overseeing a satellite office in Northampton from 1990 to 2007.

Attorney Berliner earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cornell University in 1972 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas in 1977. His current focus is exclusively on consumer bankruptcy law and related consumer protection areas.

His professional affiliations include the American Bankruptcy Institute, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, where he has been a conference speaker, the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees as an associate member, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. His civic involvement includes participating in the 2007 Financial Literacy Program at South Hadley High School and serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Hampden, Massachusetts, since 1987, where he was Chair from 1990 to 2000.

Attorney Berliner has contributed to the publication "LETTERS FOR BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS: ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR CLIENTS, CREDITORS, OPPOSING COUNSEL, AND OTHERS," edited by Marc S. Stern and Joel Pelofsky. He is a founding member of the Bankruptcy Law Network and regularly contributes to specialized bankruptcy forums such as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the Bankruptcy Roundtable.

Recognized as a mentor to bankruptcy practitioners across the Commonwealth, Attorney Berliner has influenced local rules on electronic filing through his past membership on the initial ad hoc committee. He has been acknowledged by his peers as an expert in consumer bankruptcy issues, consistently receiving excellent ratings in client surveys.

His litigation successes include prohibiting foreclosure deficiency notices without the necessary legend in Silva v. Harmon (D MA 2003) and preventing an out-of-state law firm from controlling in-state bankruptcy litigation in MBNA v. Steele (Bankr D MA 2003). In 1996, he successfully argued against the necessity of paying Chapter 7 trustee fees prior to conversion to Chapter 13. He has also challenged practices related to Chapter 13 meetings and trustee objections.

Attorney Berliner remains at the forefront of mortgage defense litigation in his region and takes pride in minimizing unnecessary litigation and associated risks for his clients.