HOUSTON - Eversheds Sutherland has announced that George P. Bernhardt has joined the Real Estate Practice Group as counsel in the Houston office, and will enhance the team’s global work by supporting clients on critical real estate industry developments, with a strong focus in the energy and technology sectors, a press release states.
Bernhardt brings more than 25 years of in-house legal experience, including responsibility for all the major worldwide real estate matters of a global energy technology company. He has led initiatives focused on sale-leasebacks, global construction practices, solar energy implementation, surplus property sales and leases, outsourcing facilities management, and global real estate compliance matters.
“We are very excited to welcome George to the firm and to our Real Estate team, which will benefit from his more than two decades as a prominent in-house legal leader," said Partner Kristina Kopf Thomas, US Real Estate Practice Group Leader and Co-Head of Global Real Estate and Planning. "His experience encompasses oversight of a company’s global real estate portfolio and providing trusted counsel on numerous sophisticated real estate transactions and initiatives around the world.
“In addition to his extensive cross-border connections, George’s long-time base in Houston will be a great asset to our teams and clients who are pursuing opportunities in the real estate, energy and other evolving sectors in this high-growth metropolitan region and Texas, more broadly.”
Bernhardt’s legal career includes experience in all aspects of the real estate lifecycle, including involving site selection, development incentives, developed and undeveloped property purchases, construction, leasing, landlord-tenant disputes, environmental issues identification and facilities services.
As a key leader of a corporate real estate group for many years, he has counseled and been a part of executive management in connection with strategic business planning and risk analysis.
Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Mr. Bernhardt was most recently Executive Counsel – Global Real Estate at Baker Hughes, which he joined in 1997. He began his legal career as a real estate associate in private practice for a Houston-based global law firm.
Bernhardt is also active in professional trade groups, including as a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). He has had multiple leadership roles with the American Bar Association’s Real Property Trust and Estate Law Section, currently serving as Section Secretary and as a member of the Section’s executive, planning, and leadership & mentoring committees. He is a former director and chair of the Houston Bar Association’s Real Estate Section.