Up Close and Personal

The son of a highly regarded local college basketball coach of the same name, Bernie Matthews has learned lots of lessons of competition and teamwork from his dad. Now in his second decade of legal practice, he has become one of Westmoreland County's most sought-after attorneys, representing companies and municipalities in the same aggressive style that earned him a basketball scholarship to an Alabama university. Based in the firm's Greensburg office and one of Meyer Darragh's most prolific lawyers, hardly a week goes by without some new client in the counties surrounding Pittsburgh calling him for help.
This native of Pittsburgh grew up in a sports family, so no one is surprised to learn that Bernie attended Samford University in Alabama to play basketball. But this fellow knew where he was heading, majoring in pre-law and public administration, entering Samford's Cumberland School of Law, and graduating cum laude and a member of its Law Review. During those law school years, he clerked for the U.S. Attorney in Birmingham and then joined a Mobile law firm. In 1989, Bernie came home, joining Meyer Darragh in its Pittsburgh office for two years before relocating in the Greensburg office in one of the region's fastest growing counties.
Press reporters know Bernie as the lawyer who helps local communities keep so-called "adult" entertainment away from their homes and kids, but his visibility in this arena is only a small part of his practice. As solicitor to one of the county's townships and authorities, Bernie counsels companies, commercial developers, landowners, and municipalities on zoning and land use issues, on contracts and business matters, and on constitutional and civil rights claims. And he also has been engaged to defend many negligence and product liability lawsuits.
Held in respect by his colleagues, Bernie manages the firm's Greensburg office. A frequent speaker at seminar programs, Bernie is a member of the Westmoreland County Inns of Court and both the municipal and civil litigation sections of the local bar. He and his wife Brenda, a local grade school teacher, live in Greensburg with their three children.