BKW Family Law LLC is proud to announce that all five of the firm’s attorneys received Pennsylvania Super Lawyers or Rising Star honors for 2025. Family law attorneys Joni J. Berner, Lisa M. Shapson, and Megan E. Watson have all won Super Lawyers honors for at least 10 consecutive years, while it’s the 20th consecutive year for attorney Margaret Klaw. It’s the first Rising Star award for Attorney Anna E. Mattis.
Decades of Service to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
BKW Family Law LLC represents individuals and families throughout Pennsylvania who are facing family law challenges. We’re proud of our decades of combined service to our community.
Lisa M. Shapson holds a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and a B.S. in Business Administration from Bucknell University. With a practice spanning Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she handles adoption, divorce, custody, support, and protection from abuse cases. Lisa has earned a reputation for compassionately guiding families through difficult transitions as a mediator and collaborative lawyer.
Megan E. Watson earned her law degree from Temple University and a magna cum laude English degree from Muhlenberg College. She began her legal journey at BKW Family Law LLC as a summer clerk and now has over 25 years of experience in family law matters. Megan is a skilled and formidable litigator and serves as an arbitrator and mediator in a variety family law cases. She has also argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and was successful in expanding the law as it related to parentage in PA.
Joni J. Berner earned her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in 1978 after completing a self-designed political science degree at Cedar Crest College. Joni founded the original iteration of the firm and she now serves of counsel at BKW Family Law LLC. Joni focuses on mediation, collaborative divorce, conflict coaching, and limited scope representation, as she believes in helping clients resolve conflicts without going to court whenever possible.
Margaret Klaw graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 1984 and began practicing family law shortly thereafter. As one of our firm’s of counsel attorneys, she offers consultations, mediation, and arbitration services. Margy is also an accomplished author known for combining her legal insight with skilled storytelling.
Anna E. Mattis received her J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in 2021. She developed a strong interest in family law during a judicial clerkship and through her work at Temple Legal Aid and Philadelphia Legal Assistance. Today, Anna passionately helps our clients with custody, child support, and other family law disputes.
About the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Selection Process
Each year, Super Lawyers honors skilled attorneys nationwide through a patented multi-step selection process. Nominations come from attorneys’ peers or through independent research by the Super Lawyer team. The organization then evaluates each nominee using 12 indicators of professional achievement, including a nominee’s verdicts, community work, and leadership roles. High scorers then undergo additional peer review by others in their field. Only 5 percent of lawyers in each state make the final list.
The Rising Stars list follows the same process, but nominees are limited to attorneys under 40 or who have practiced law for less than 10 years. Rising Stars represent just 2.5 of young or new attorneys in each state.
Need a Philadelphia Family Law Attorney? We Can Help
Whether you need help with a divorce, custody dispute, child support question, or other family law issue, trust BKW Family Law LLC to provide compassionate, comprehensive service as we guide you through this challenging moment. Call now or complete our contact form for a consultation.