Fred Bernhardt is a Director of the Firm. He is a member of the Firm’s Estate Planning and Administration, Business Law and Commercial Real Estate Practice Groups.

EDUCATION

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B.S., Business, 1965
• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1968

MILITARY SERVICE

• U. S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General, Captain, 1968 to 1980

WORK EXPERIENCE

       ESTATE PLANNING

• Planning for family wealth transfers, including such techniques as
  • Credit shelter trusts
  • Revocable and irrevocable trusts
  • Crummey trusts
  • Family limited liability companies and partnerships
  • Special needs trusts
  • Generation-skipping trusts
  • Charitable remainder trusts
  • Private foundations
  • Qualified personal residence trusts

      BUSINESS LAW

• Advising business clients regarding
  • Tax matters
  • Sale and acquisition of assets and stocks
  • Retirement planning
  • Business succession planning

      COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

• Advising commercial developers and investors regarding
  • Acquisition, development and financing of shopping centers, office buildings and mixed use developments
  • Selection of entity for real estate acquisition and development, including tax ramifications
  • Restructuring real estate-based financings

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

• Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine, “The Top Attorneys in Virginia,” Estate Planning & Probate – 2006
• Virginia Business Magazine, "Legal Elite - The Best Lawyers in Virginia," Taxes/Estates/Trusts - 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006
• Frequently serves as a speaker on estate planning and administration topics
• Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory – AV (highest) rating

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

• Member
  • American Bar Association
  • Virginia Bar Association
  • Virginia State Bar
  • Richmond Bar Association
  • Trust Administrators Council of Richmond
    • Former President
  • Private Business Study Group of Richmond
  • Estate Planning Council of Richmond