"General Civil Trial Practice with emphasis on Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Insurance, Business, Civil, Criminal and
Traffic Litigation; Probate, Family and Real Estate Practice."
Our offices are located in
Historic downtown Ravenna, Ohio,
at 409 S. Prospect Street.
Lou Bertrand was born in Wilmington, Delaware and is a graduate of Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania.
His undergraduate degree is from the State University of New York at Buffalo and he recieved his Doctor of Jurisprudence
from the University of Toledo, College of Law.
Mr. Bertrand has been a practicing trial attorney in Portage County (pop. 161,000) for the past fourty-five (45) years.
From 1968 to 1972 Mr. Bertrand served as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Portage County.
Mr. Bertrand then joined veteran trial attorney William J. Smith and later practiced with Attorney Dennis M. Zavinski,
both Deceased.
For three years, he was an
Instructor in the Department of Management at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. For
ten years Bertrand served as special legal counsel for the City of Tallmadge, Ohio. He
was elected to Hiram Council for twenty-eight years (28 yrs.); during this period Bertrand
served as Council President for twelve years. Since 2007 Mr. Bertrand has been serving as the elected Mayor
of Hiram (Pop. 1,400), home of Hiram College and former U.S. President James A. Garfield.
Mr. Bertrand is one of the most experienced trial lawyers in Portage County, having tried
more than 100+ civil and criminal jury trials. Bertrand practices with a group of five
independent practitioners in his Ravenna, Ohio office.
Mr. Bertrand is listed as a "Super Attorney" in Ohio Trial Lawyer Magazine and has recieved commendation from the Ohio
House of Representitives for excellence in the legal profession. Mr. Bertrand was selected by peer recognition and professional
achievement as one of the "Top Attorneys in Ohio" as published in Cleveland/Cincinnati Magazine.
Mr. Bertrand is certified as a CIVIL DIPLOMATE of the NATIONAL BOARD of TRIAL ADVOCACY
since 1980.
For a complete copy of Lou Bertrand's cirriculum vitae, please Click Here.
Aaron Schwartz has been a practicing trial attorney for the past 10 years.
He has extensive experience in the area of criminal defense where he has participated in over 50 jury trials in both
Municipal and Common Pleas courts. Mr. Schwartz has handled hundreds of OVI/DUI cases as well as Domestic Violence,
Drug Offenses and Theft Offenses. Mr. Schwartz also handles Personal Injury, Domestic Relations/Divorce and Estate
issues.
Mr. Schwartz is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio as well as the Case Western Reserve University School
of Law.