Daniel R. Bernard focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, estate tax planning, business succession planning, and estate litigation, with an emphasis on estate planning for snowbirds. In fact, Dan literally wrote the book on estate planning for snowbirds, which you can download for free from this site. Dan’s philosophy on estate planning can be described in three words: originality, efficiency, and quality. Originality, in that Dan does not create cookie cutter assembly line style estate plans, where clients are fit into one of two plans the firm has on file. Rather, Dan creates a unique estate plan for each client that fits each client’s unique life. Efficiency, Dan values both his client’s time and money. So, he endeavors with every estate plan to preserve both of these precious resources. Quality, highest quality counsel and representation is the only counsel Dan supplies. Dan has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, and Newsday in articles related to estate planning and taxation issues. Dan has been a guest on the “Ask the Attorney” show, the “Dead Celebrity Podcast,”, the “Law You Should Know” radio show and podcast, and The Real Estate Law Podcast to discuss estate planning for snowbirds. Dan holds an advanced law degree, a Master of Laws in Taxation, from New York University School of Law. This allows Dan to better assist clients with advanced estate tax planning. Dan received his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where he served as the Senior Managing Editor of the Rutgers Law Record. While in law school, Dan worked as a student attorney in the Rutgers Federal Tax Clinic and interned in the Tax Court of New Jersey and the Morris County Surrogate Court. After completing law school, Dan served a one-year clerkship with the Honorable Barbara C. Stolte in the New Jersey Middlesex County Family Court. Prior to law school. Dan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Temple University, where he double majored in finance and economics. Dan is admitted to practice law in New York, Florida, and New Jersey.

Andrew Bernhard has represented national real estate developers, financial institutions, and corporations in their complex commercial, consumer finance, and real estate development matters. Andrew represented national financial institutions in their escalated litigation matters ranging from violation of federal business and banking statutes, preservation of bank-owned real estate, defending securities fraud claims, and negotiating director and shareholder settlements. Prior to Rivero Mestre, Andrew Bernhard represented Florida communities and national real estate developers in real estate litigation and transactional matters. He also worked under Edwin G. Torres, United States Judge for the Southern District of Florida, and at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office. Andrew Bernhard graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law where he served as Executive Chair for the International Moot Court Board and received the CALI Excellence Award for International Moot Court. His professors named him a Dean’s Fellow for constitutional law, property, and legal research and writing, and granted him honors in Business Associations and Litigation Skills. The University of Miami School of Law awarded Andrew Bernhard the John F. Evans Memorial Scholarship for excellence in Litigation Skills.

For over 30 years, William C. Bernhardi has built his reputation as one of the preeminent Social Security Disability (SSD) lawyers in Buffalo, NY. Notably, Mr. Bernhardi worked as a Social Security Claims Representative and a Social Security State Agency Disability Analyst before becoming an attorney, further enhancing his comprehensive knowledge of the Social Security Disability (SSD) processes. Mr. Bernhardi is active in the legal community and previously served as chair of the Erie County Bar Association Committee for the Disabled, where he is still an active member. He has also been a featured lecturer on a range of Social Security and legal topics and he has long served as a voice for disability advocacy groups. Attorneys routinely call him for advice regarding Social Security Disability Claims.

Area of Practice: Labor and Employment Law A graduate of Columbia Law School (1962) and the University of Michigan (Economics) (1959), Michael is a labor and employment law attorney who began his career with the New York Regional Office of the National Labor Relations Board. Since entering private practice in 1965, he has represented management in all facets of labor and employment law, both in for-profit and not-for-profit settings, including in his capacities as Partner with Aranow, Brodsky, Bohlinger, Benetar, Einhorn & Dann; Partner with Benetar Isaacs Bernstein & Schair; Managing Partner with Benetar, Bernstein, Schair & Stein; and Senior Partner and now Of Counsel with Bond, Schoeneck & King. He is a frequent lecturer and, as well, contributing editor and author to major federal and state labor and employment law treatises and periodicals, and to Chambers Global Practice Guide, USA Regional Employment. In 2015 Michael was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section. He also has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Association; a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers; and a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation. In 1992, his firm, Benetar Bernstein Schair & Stein was the recipient of The Reliance Award for Excellence in Education, Outstanding Small Business in New York City. Michael has chaired the Labor & Employment Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and is a member of its Executive Committee. He has chaired, as well, both the Labor Committee of the New York City Bar Association and the Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee of the American Bar Association. Michael also is a long-standing member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and the NYU Labor and Employment Center’s Board of Advisors. He has served as well as a member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Minorities in the Profession and as a judge in its annual Michael Oshima Essay Competition; as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Special Committee on Youth Outreach; and as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Law School Liaisons, including as a judge in its annual Emanuel and Kenneth Stein Law School Essay Competition. Michael has also served as a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department; as a member of the Privacy Initiative Task Force, New York State Bar Association; a member of the Governor’s Advisory Panel on Economic Development, New York State (Project 2000); a member of the Law Committee (Labor Section), American Arbitration Association; a member of the Lt. Governor’s Task Force on Plant Closings, New York State; Chair, Subcommittee, Project on Simplification of the Law, New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section; and Chair, Committee on Intake and Investigation, Task Force of New York State Division of Human Rights.