Biography

Jonathan D. Berchem is a Senior Partner who concentrates his practice in the areas of municipal law and general civil litigation, including insurance defense, construction litigation and employment law. Admitted to practice in Connecticut state and federal courts, as well as the United States Supreme Court and Pennsylvania state courts, Attorney Berchem is a member of the Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut and American Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Jon Berchem is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law (J.D. 1995), where he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. He received his undergraduate degree from Fairfield University (B.A. 1992). 

In November of 2011, Jon Berchem was appointed as Milford City Attorney. He had previously served the City of Milford as a Fire Commissioner from 2008 to 2011. In 2012, Jon received the coveted Public Sector Award from the Milford Chamber of Commerce for his work in these roles.

Jon is actively involved in community affairs in his hometown of Milford, CT, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Milford, Inc. for two years and was a member for over 15 years.  Jon also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Milford Rape Crisis Center, the Milford National Lou Gehrig Little League, and the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport. He is a former Vice-Chair of the Board of Managers of the Woodruff Family YMCA. In October, 2017, Jon received the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America-Connecticut Yankee Council, which recognizes outstanding leaders in the community who through their vocations or avocations provide exceptional role models for youth in the area. He is currently Vice President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Milford and serves on the Board of Directors for the Sterling House Community Center.

Jon Berchem has a Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory AV peer rating, which is based on peers’ evaluation of a lawyer’s legal ability and general ethical standards. For more than twenty years he has volunteered as a Connecticut Bar exam grader, and has also volunteered as a member of the Grievance Panel for Fairfield County. In 2018, Jon Berchem was selected as a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, a collection of the State’s most outstanding lawyers, judges and teachers who devote their time and talent to sponsoring programs that address matters concerning the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the rule of law in society. During the summer of 2021, Jon volunteered to teach a course on civil liability at the Milford Police Department Regional Training Facility to 37 police officer recruits following his certification as an instructor by the State of Connecticut Police Officer Standards & Training Council. Attendees of the Academy came from many Departments throughout the State of Connecticut. Jon was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America^® 2023 Edition for Litigation – Insurance and Municipal. For the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, more than 12.2 million votes were analyzed to identify the top legal talent, as identified by their peers.

Practice Areas

• Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Municipal Law

Education

• Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York
  • J.D. – 1995
• Fairfield University
  • B.A. – 1992

Past Positions

• City of Milford, City Attorney, 2011- present
• City of Milford , Fire Commissioner, 2008 to 2011

Professional Associations

• Milford Bar Association, Member
• Connecticut Bar Association, Member
• New Haven County Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
• Woodruff Family YMCA, Milford, Connecticut, former Vice-Chairman, Board of Managers
• United Way of Milford, Inc., former Assistant Treasurer, Board of Directors
• Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport, Board of Directors (former)
• Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Member
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Milford, Vice President
• Sterling House Community Center, Board of Directors

Bar Admissions

• Connecticut, 1995
• Pennsylvania, 1995
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1999

Honors

• Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory AV peer rating
• James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, 2018
• Boy Scouts of America – Connecticut Yankee Council, Good Scout Award, 2017
• Milford Chamber of Commerce Public Sector Award, 2012
• Best Lawyers in America^®, Litigation – Insurance and Municipal, 2023