Best Lawyers logo
  • Lawyers
  • Methodology
  • NEW! Ones to Watch
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In
  • Lawyers
    • Advanced Search
    • COVID-19 Assistance
    • Featured Ones to Watch
    • Lawyer of the Year
    • Highlighted Lawyers
    • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Methodology
    • Overview
    • Ones to Watch
    • Editorial Timelines
    • Practice Areas
    • Publicizing Guidelines
    • FAQ
  • Publications
    • Family Law
    • New York Area
    • Canada
    • South Florida
    • Southern California
    • Northern California
    • Tampa
    • Midwest
  • Legal Insights
    • Featured Articles
    • In the News
    • Advisory Board
    • Meet the Board
    • Press & Events
  • About
    • Global Presence
    • Company History
    • Leadership
  • Ones to Watch
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In Log In
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In

Lawyer Profile

Image of G. Kenneth Bernhard

G. Kenneth Bernhard

Cohen and Wolf, P.C.
  • Recognized Since:
    2013
  • Recognized in:
    Municipal Law
    Real Estate Law
  • Law School:
    New York University
  • Lawyer Page:
    http://www.cohenandwolf.com/?t...
  • Website:
    http://www.cohenandwolf.com
  • E-mail:
    kbernhard@cohenandwolf.com
  • Location:
    1115 Broad Street
    Bridgeport, CT 06604
"Ken Bernhard has been town counsel for Wilton for 18 years. I worked with him during my six years as chief executive of the town and found him and his associates to be knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful in all areas."

-Bob Russell (Town of Wilton), Wilton

"Ken Bernhard is a very experienced and seasoned attorney. As town counsel, his broad range of state and municipal government experience has enabled him to provide consistently accurate and balanced legal advice on almost all legal matters that have come before the town government. Ken has a broad perspective and thinks strategically, which has been invaluable. He is an excellent and skilled negotiator with keen political insight. Ken is responsive, communicates in a timely matter, and is always willing to assist with the resolution of a problem. He also has a very steady disposition, a broad range of interests, a disarming sense of humor, and, in summary, is a pleasure to work with. He has been an excellent legal counsel to the town of Wilton."

-Bill Brennan (Town of Wilton)

Read More Client Comments
  • Lawyer Bio
  • Client Comments
  • Lawyer Practice Areas
  • Firm Details
  • News & Media

Lawyer Bio

G. Kenneth Bernhard is a principal in Cohen and Wolf's Municipal, Business & Corporate, Real Estate, Family Law and Appellate Groups. Dividing his time between the firm's Bridgeport and Westport offices, Mr. Bernhard represents municipalities and a wide range of businesses, as well as individuals, in litigation, real estate, matrimonial and commercial matters. Mr. Bernhard has extensive experience in all phases of municipal law, including land use, administrative appeals, condemnations, foreclosures, contracts and the drafting of municipal legislation. He presently serves as town attorney for the Town of Wilton (since 1992). He served as town attorney for the Town of Weston from 2000 to 2009 and the Town of Westport from 1981-1985, 1989-1993, and 1997.

Mr. Bernhard is active in state and local matters. From 1997-2005, he was Westport's State Representative to the Connecticut General Assembly and served as an Assistant Minority Leader. Mr. Bernhard previously served as Westport's Third Selectman from 1987 to 1989 and was elected to the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals in 1989. He volunteered his services to the Connecticut Judiciary as an attorney trial referee from 1984-1996. He served, or presently serves, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Westport Public Library; Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County; The Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce; The Norwalk Human Services Council; Earthplace; the Westport Historical Society; the Levitt Pavilion; the Aspetuck Land Trust; and the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation. He joined the Board of Directors of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters in 2006 and was elected to co-chairman in 2011.

Mr. Bernhard is admitted to practice law in New York and Connecticut. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Military Appeals, the District Court of Connecticut, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a former president of the Westport Bar Association (1987-1988). He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association. While in the U.S. Army as a member of the Judge Advocates Generals Corps, he served as an associate professor of law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, teaching both criminal and constitutional law. Mr. Bernhard is a Senior Attorney with the Center for International Legal Studies located in Salzburg, Austria and under its auspices has taught American Constitutional Law at law universities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Russia, Latvia, Hungary and Mongolia. Working with UNESCO, Mr. Bernhard has taught copyright and contract law in Jordan. In 2005, Governor Jodi Rell appointed Mr. Bernhard to serve on the Judicial Review Council. He was re-appointed again in 2008. In 2012, Mr. Bernhard was appointed to the State Board of Veterinary Medicine by Governor Daniel Malloy. In March 2014, Senator John Mc Kinney, the Connecticut Senate Minority Leader, appointed Mr. Bernhard to serve on the Public Defender’s Commission, which oversees the Connecticut Public Defender’s Office.

In 2008, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero appointed Mr. Bernhard to serve as a member of the Citizens Advisory Board which oversees the Office of State Ethics, an independent watch-dog agency that replaced the State Ethics Commission in 2005. Mr. Bernhard was elected Chairman of the Board and served until 2010.

He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America (2013-2019 editions) for his work in the area of Municipal Law, and in the 2018-2019 editions for his work in the area of Real Estate Law.

Mr. Bernhard received his B.A. in 1966 from Yale University, and his J.D. (1969) and LL.M. (1970) from New York University Law School.

Read more on firm website
  • Education
  • Bar Admissions
  • Affiliations
  • Award List

Education:

  • New York University , LL.M., graduated 1970
  • New York University , J.D., graduated 1969
  • Yale University , BA, graduated 1966

Bar Admissions:

  • Connecticut, Connecticut
  • United States, US Court of Military Appeals
  • Connecticut, District Court of Connecticut
  • United States, United States Supreme Court

Affiliations:

  • Connecticut Bar Association - Member
  • Greater Bridgeport Bar Association - Member
  • Judicial Review Council - Member

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

  • Municipal Law
  • Real Estate Law
 

Awards:

  • AV Peer Rated, Martindale Hubbell
  • Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award 
  • Weston-Westport Camber of Commerce First Citizen Award
  • Distinguished Citizen Award, Boy Scout's CT Yankee Council
 

Lawyer Client Comments

"Ken Bernhard has been town counsel for Wilton for 18 years. I worked with him during my six years as chief executive of the town and found him and his associates to be knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful in all areas."

Bob Russell, Town of Wilton, Wilton

"Ken Bernhard is a very experienced and seasoned attorney. As town counsel, his broad range of state and municipal government experience has enabled him to provide consistently accurate and balanced legal advice on almost all legal matters that have come before the town government. Ken has a broad perspective and thinks strategically, which has been invaluable. He is an excellent and skilled negotiator with keen political insight. Ken is responsive, communicates in a timely matter, and is always willing to assist with the resolution of a problem. He also has a very steady disposition, a broad range of interests, a disarming sense of humor, and, in summary, is a pleasure to work with. He has been an excellent legal counsel to the town of Wilton."

Bill Brennan, Town of Wilton

"Ken Bernhard is very knowledgeable in Connecticut Municipal Law and very helpful to me when I served as the Chief Executive of the municipality from 1993 to 1999."

Bob Russell, Town of Wilton, Wilton

Lawyer Practice Areas

Key: Awarded in Best Lawyers Not Currently Awarded for this Area in Best Lawyers

Firm Details

Image for Cohen and Wolf, P.C. View Firm Profile
Cohen and Wolf, P.C.
http://www.cohenandwolf.com
 
Headquarters
1115 Broad Street
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 368.0211
4 Office Locations
in 1 Country

United States

United States

Connecticut

Connecticut

Danbury, CT

158 Deer Hill Avenue

Danbury, CT 06810

United States

(203) 792.2771

Get Directions

Orange, CT

657 Orange Center Road

Orange, CT 06477

United States

(203) 298.4066

Get Directions

Westport, CT

320 Post Road West

Westport, CT 06880

United States

(203) 222.1034

Get Directions

News & Media

Featured Publications

Cover for our New York Area publication
 
Add Comment
In making your comments, please do not refer to a pending legal matter.
(*) Required Fields
There was an error during saving, please try again.
If you continue to get this message, please contact us at info@bestlawyers.com or 803.648.0300 for assistance.
Please complete the captcha then submit.
Your comment was saved successfully!
Thank you for your feedback.
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Legal Insights
  • Contact Us
Lawyers 
  • Advanced Search
  • COVID-19 Assistance
  • Featured Ones to Watch
  • Lawyer of the Year
  • Highlighted Lawyers
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Find a Lawyer
Methodology
  • Overview
  • Ones to Watch
  • Editorial Timelines
  • Practice Areas
  • Publicizing Guidelines
  • FAQ
Publications
  • Business Editions
  • Regional Editions
  • Partnerships
  • Become a Contributor
Legal Insights
  • Featured Articles
  • In the News
  • Advisory Board
  • Meet the Board
  • Press & Events
  • Best Law Firms
  • Subscribe
About
  • Global Presence
  • Company History
  • Leadership
  • Founders
  • Press Releases
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
My Account
  • Log In
  • Store
  • Marketing Guidance
Best Lawyers Best Lawyers logo +1-803-648-0300
801 Broad Street, Suite 950 Augusta, GA 30901
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Lawyer Directory
  • Best Law Firms

© 2010-2021 Best Lawyers — All Rights Reserved.

BL Icon

LEGAL INSIGHTS

by Best Lawyers®



Get the latest insights on the news, trends, and people that shape the global legal field with our weekly email digest.

Please enter a valid email address.

You have already subscribed.





PRIVACY POLICY

Thank you for subscribing.