The creative energy of the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph proved to be irresistible when Berecz and Associates was looking to relocate in larger offices.
Deborah Berecz (pronounced Be-Reece) says her law firm, which handles family law, adoption and estate planning, specializes in crafting settlements that fit each family and their individual circumstances. The creativity that goes into drawing up such individualized settlements are what made the Box Factory a good fit, Berecz says.
She has been practicing family law in the area for 20 years and Meghan Lipford joined the law firm a year ago. An administrative assistant rounds out the staff. Berecz says rapid growth has never been a goal of the firm. Although the firm would grow if necessary to fit the needs of its clients, the emphasis for Berecz is on fitting the right process to each client.
“I’m really committed to having only highly compassionate and caring individuals working for me,” Berecz says.
There are always a number of options no matter what traumatic events a family is facing, Berecz says. Mediation, a collaborative law process, or full-blown litigation are among those options.
With the move into the Box Factory, the firm doubled its office space and is now occupying at least 2,000 square feet. The office was designed as a place to provide special services for clients — a 55-inch TV screen in a conference room is a way clients can get a good look at spreadsheets that deal with the financial aspects of their cases, and a library where clients can find resources on collaborative law and mediation were accommodated by the move.
“We really are creative in the way we approach family law and divorce custody settlements,” Berecz says. “So it felt like a good fit to in this really creative environment, full of artists, in a great old historic building.”
Berecz and Associates celebrated its new location with a ribbon cutting June 12.
Newburg Law, which specializes in business and legal counsel with a focus on intellectual property law, criminal defense, and appellate practice celebrated its opening there at the same time.
The Box Factory is home to more than 40 local artists. Two floors of the 55,000-square-foot building have been devoted to the arts since 1995 when the Berrien Artist Guild, a non-profit organization, purchased the 90-year-old Williams Brothers Paper Box Factory.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Deborah Berecz, Berecz and Associates
