The passing of Keith Berman
It is with sadness that we announce that Bermans founder, Keith Berman, has passed away.
Bermans was founded in 1970 in Liverpool by Keith. By adopting from the start an effective approach which focused on achieving the Client’s business objectives quickly and economically, the Firm was able to make rapid inroads on a national scale and throughout the North West.
In 1980 Keith moved to New York, qualified there and began practising as an English solicitor, opening the Bermans office in 1982. It orchestrated litigation worldwide and provided a valuable resource for UK and European Clients with American interests (and vice versa). At that time not even the big London Firms had an operational New York office so to open in the Big Apple and make a success of it was a remarkable achievement.
Ian Munford, senior consultant, joined Bermans in 1978 and worked directly for Keith as a newly qualified Solicitor and even shared an office with him. In 1985 Ian opened the Bermans Manchester office and has been with the firm ever since, he comments “Keith was a perfectionist who liked every staple attaching documents to a letter to be at exactly 90 degrees and a Bermans “style” of writing. He was also ahead of his time in relation to office automation and IT.
He was a flamboyant character, to say the least, and would wear a cape and a dickie bow tie to work many days. He worked very hard himself and expected no less from others including myself but he generously rewarded and promoted those who did reflect his high standards .”
“RIP Keith, you were definitely “one of a kind”
Keith carried on working even in his later years and was going to attend some of the celebrations for Bermans 50th anniversary in 2020 before Covid and ill health took over.
He was proud of the reputation the firm with his name carries today.
