Hired attorney

February 19, 2015 was the day my life turned upside down. Having just left work, an 18 year old girl, speeding, lost control and hit the vehicle I was driving; head on. The impact was so severe, that I was trapped-- unknowing what the future held for me. It took several fire fighters, and more than an hour to extract me. I suffered traumatic injuries, both physically and mentally, had a fractured pelvis and both of my legs were shattered. In the weeks following the accident, I had to undergo 6 major surgeries and a 7th that took place later in the Spring. Those couple of weeks were the worst of my life. The road to recovery is still not over, but I am blessed to have had and still have a network of amazing family and friends that have been supportive throughout the process.

At the time of the accident my parents were visiting loved ones in Greece, and were scrambling to find a means to get back, as quick as possible, to relieve my husband for a short time-- so he can get things in order. My husband never left my side, during that time. He was distraught with the entire situation, but stood strong, even though the days to follow were uncertain for our family. During his time of disbelief, and stress, my husband was continuously bombarded by lawyers' phone calls, that caught wind of our situation, and wanted to "help." These so called lawyers, never once stepped foot in my numerous hospital rooms, or rehabilitation, but deemed it necessary to continuously contact my husband, on his personal cell phone, to get the case. There was no sign of compassion from these individuals, and for that reason, even though they contacted us, we didn't feel that those lawyers were the appropriate representation for our family.

After I was finally in a calm state of mind, we contacted Attorney Michael DeRiso. Attorney DeRiso was referred to us by my husbands cousin who was a JAG lawyer in Texas at Fort Hood at the time of my accident. My husbands cousin interned with Attorney DeRiso for 2 months, prior to becoming a JAG lawyer, and had nothing but incredible sentiments towards Attorney Deriso. Unlike all the lawyers that hounded my husband the weeks following the accident, Attorney DeRiso wanted us to call him when we were ready to relive the accident. Attorney DeRiso was nothing but professional and compassionate- something that can't be said about all. We are so appreciative of the difficult work he put towards our case. Attorney Michael Deriso fought for US, and not for himself. My husband and I are grateful that we came across someone so empathetic and understanding. Because of Attorney Michael DeRiso we were able to get closure and restitution for such a traumatic life event. We are eternally grateful for his work, and highly recommend him to all. ....kyriakoula

Hard Working and Patient

Mr. DeRiso represented me in my divorce. Mr. DeRiso was very patient and hard working and obtained the best outcome possible in my case to which I'm very thankful. Mr. DeRiso is a very passionate and goal oriented attorney. He is methodical and attention to detail when speaking with clients and in the court room. Mr. DeRiso is very well educated, experienced and exceptionally honest in all aspects of his profession. If you have received a traffic citation or have been charged with homicide, have had a PFA or getting a divorce, or have been injured due to someone else's carelessness or negligence, Mr. DeRiso is that attorney you want to represent you and your interests. ...Bernie

Trustworthy & Professional. Highly Recommend.

There were a handful of potential criminal attorneys I was considering for handling my case. Upon review of qualifications and multiple recommendations from friends and colleagues, I chose Michael DeRiso. From the gate, he was in my corner and earned my trust quickly. His reputation within the Western PA legal and business communities is stellar, and he is highly regarded for his expertise, professionalism, and dedication to each individual case. The charges I faced were quite serious, and throughout the various stages (preliminary hearing, pre-trial conference, arraignment, etc.), I would become anxious. Each time that happened, Michael would explain things to me in language I could understand and reassure me he was working diligently on my case. The end result was a dismissal of both very serious charges. I could not be any more pleased with the way Michael managed my case. He is a fighter and I felt he was truly fighting for me. I highly recommend him and would retain his services again (although I certainly hope I don't have to). ....Christy

Custody case

I hired Michael J. DeRiso to represent me in a custody case. I did not think I had a chance of getting primary custody of my daughter. I met with Mike for the initial consultation and after walking out felt I really had a chance to get custody. We entered into a long drawn out court battle in family division. if I called Mike with questions he would call me back that day, sometimes he would call me from home, even when out of town he would call to keep me constantly up to date. The staff at Mike's office are exceptional too, they would call and mail me paperwork anytime there were issues. The final result was me getting primary custody of my daughter. Now her and I are happier than ever. If you are thinking about hiring an attorney look no further than hiring Mike. I promise you will be happy, I knew when I left the consultation that he was the right attorney for the case. ...Matt

The best in Pittsburgh ...Joseph

Michael DeRiso has my highest recommendation. His attention and devotion to my (Family Law) case made me a true believer in him, his staff, and his firm. Mr. DeRiso ALWAYS made it to my proceedings. He never sent another attorney in his stead. I feel this is a rare quality in attorney's now a days. He is a true professional and is very knowledgeable. He and his staff worked tirelessly on my case and produced an extremely favorable court decision. Since dealing with Mr. DeRiso, I have recommended him to several close friends. All of whom received the same prompt and professional service that I did. A++++

Mike DeRis(s)o(sic) is a lawyer you can trust! …Roy

Mr. DeRiso actually won my case of child custody and I am the father of my child. Not an easy task in PA! He uses the facts of the case and will tell you straight forward of your chances of winning your case. Very honest, loyal and business oriented. He will fight for what’s right!

I am extremely pleased with the work that Mike has done for me. … Matt

He gets the results you deserve without playing games and wasting your time and money. I have had one previous lawyer and I was not pleased with the outcome and how long it took to get to that outcome. With mike you know he’s not going to play games. He’s going to tell you how it is and he gets the job done for you. There are no complaints from me on the work mike has performed. I have already recommended him to two other people I know, and will recommend him to anyone needing a lawyer.

Tough Court Case … Michael

From the very beginning, Mr. DeRiso was very knowledgeable, reassuring, and confident that he could assist me with my legal problems. He consistently kept me informed as to the progress of the case, as well as making sure I fulfilled all responsibilities required of myself. I know he worked very hard on my case, researching and applying his abilities in order to be fully prepared on the date of the hearing. Upon an entirely positive result in my case, I came to fully realize the experience and skill that Mr. DeRiso possess. I would instantly recommend Mr. DeRiso for assistance with any legal problem.

Excellent attorney …James

I have been a client for several years dealing with a horrid divorce. Michael represented me well and kept me informed on what was happening every time the witch and her lawyer tried something stupid to get me back in court. Let’s face it PA divorce law is all about the man getting screwed and discriminated against and for the lazy witch that would not work.. Michael also handled my living will and last will and testament and also is representing my son with his issues.

Making (my) legal troubles seem easy. …Josephine

Having legal trouble was just awful. There’s no worse feeling. Micheal helped put me at ease and provided the best counsel ever. There’s no question I would use him again.

Current Family Law Client …Dean

As a current client of Michael’s, I can say that he is an excellent lawyer who is very knowledgable in the law he practices. He has consistently produced results as we have navigated the process of divorce. I am glad to have him on my side as a partner in the fight against the witch.

A competent Attorney. … William Reihner

We hired MIke after our son was railroaded By Washington Co and found guilty of multiple charges that the jury should have never seen. Mike filed a timely "to the point " motion for a new trial and takes my son’s case serious, like it was his child. We actually believed we hired a competent attorney for our son’s trial, but found out that was not the case. If you need an attorney you can trust hire Mr. DeRisio.

Outstanding Attorney …Matt

Words cannot express how happy I am with Mike. I met with him initially for the consultation, I explained to Mike I was not happy with my old attorney. Mike immediately started filing papers in court and left no stone unturned. He would call, text or email me keeping me up to speed on everything he did. I had a couple problems arise on the weekend, sent him an email hoping he would call me early Monday. He contacted me minutes later addressing my issues. The staff he has is excellent to, they constantly kept me informed about everything. I have known Mike for over 15 years and always thought he was a real professional. I never needed an attorney before and I am so glad I decided when I did I called him. I can assure you if you are in need of an attorney. LOOK NO FURTHER CALL MIKE !!!

best lawyer you could ever have …Erica

(I) was in a lot of trouble i had 14 only different cases throughout a 5 year span. He got me house arrest at the worst for 6 months. I had cases in westmoreland,allegheny,beaver,butler,and new castle all at the same time. he was always there to answer my questions and if i needed to talk to him face to face i could get into see him within a couple days. i referred him to a friend of mine for his son’s dui case he got him out of jail in 2 days. he’s a wonderful lawyer and makes you feel comfortable and makes sure things are taken care of.

amazing lawyer …Lindsay

If you have a criminal case go with mike!! He talked me through every step and got me out of numerous charges!! Because of mike I am now out of trouble never did a day in jail and living a wonderful life with my family. I will never be in trouble again but if I ever were I would call mike in a heartbeat. I used him for 4-5 different cases!