Michael J. O’Brien is a practicing attorney and a founding partner of Cleveland-based The O’Brien Law Firm LLC, which joined the BMD law firm in 2023. He emphasizes estate and trust planning and administration, probate, corporate planning, family business, family limited partnership and charitable trust and private family foundation planning. Michael has experience in planning for families with children with disabilities. He has worked with many family businesses with regard to family transfers and succession planning. In addition, he is admitted to practice in Ohio and Florida and has administered many Florida estates with attention to special probate and tax concerns involving property disposition in multiple states. He serves as a Trustee of several charitable foundations that include North Coast Community Homes and The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation.

Michael is a graduate of St. Ignatius High School, Holy Cross College and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He is an active member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and of the Ohio and Florida Bar Associations. Michael is married to Dawn Kern O’Brien and lives in Shaker Heights with their three children, Darby, Murphy and Miles.

Courts & Bar Associations:

• Ohio Bar (1983)
• Florida Bar (1986)
• Ohio State Bar Association (1986)

Professional Honors & Awards:

• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
• AVVO Client's Choice Award
• Cleveland's Legal Leaders Top Rated Lawyers

Professional & Civic Affiliations:

• North Coast Community Homes, Lifetime Trustee
• The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation, Trustee
• American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Member

Presentations & Publications

• Top 10 Estate Planning Mistakes - Crain's Cleveland Business
• (Ten More) Top Estate Planning Mistakes - The Estate Planning Council of Cleveland
• Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning - The Estate Planning Council of Cleveland