Fred Bernhardt is a Partner and has been with the firm since 1968. Known throughout Virginia as a leading Estate Attorney, he is an invaluable member of the Firm’s Estate Planning and Administration, Business Law, and Real Estate Practice Groups.
Military Service
U. S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General, Major, 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:
Sale and acquisition of assets and stocks
Retirement planning
Business succession planning
Commercial Real Estate
Advising commercial developers and others 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, 2007, 2012 – 2018
Virginia Business magazine, “Legal Elite,” Taxes/Estates/Trusts, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2022; Taxes/Estates/Trusts/Elder Law, 2012 – 2018
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory – AV (highest) rating
EDUCATION
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B.S., Business, 1965
