David S. Bernstein joined Adams and Reese in 2010 following the firm's expansion into St. Petersburg.
David concentrates his practice in commercial real estate, banking, finance and development. He has extensive experience in site acquisitions, regulated real estate development and sales, local and multi-state portfolios, local and multi-state credit facilities, acquisition and development financing, project financing, the assemblage and repositioning of commercial real estate and complex loan documentation.
His significant contributions include:
· Legal counsel in more than $3 billion in commercial real estate transactions and cooperative mobile home park conversions.
· Negotiated and closed many significant real estate projects and portfolios within Florida and in other states including office buildings, retail centers, citrus groves, manufactured housing communities, recreational vehicle parks, apartment complexes, marinas, subdivisions, condominiums, cooperatives, private utilities, commercial credit lines and commercial loans.
· Acted as outside general counsel for one of the nation's largest residential lenders for its national construction lending program (which fostered 51 mobile home developments in 14 states closing nearly $400 million in construction loans and related credit facilities).
· Appointed to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners Mobile Home Task Force 2000 and tasked is to analyze existing state and local regulations relating to land use or zoning changes for mobile home park properties.
· Listed legal authority available for speaking engagements and consultation through the National Manufactured Housing Institute and was named one of Florida's top attorneys in Real Estate Law by Super Lawyers® in both 2008 and 2009.
· Leading strategist and legal counsel in various commercial matters for national and local developers, institutional lenders, title companies, management companies, homeowners associations, cooperatives, private capital groups and real estate investment trusts with a special emphasis on mobile home parks and manufactured housing. His years of experience in that niche include handling regulatory, transactional, administrative, dispute resolution, governmental and operational issues.
David is a prominent member of the Mobile Home Law Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and two-term President of the Pinellas Real Estate Law Council. He served on the Florida Manufactured Housing Association's Charter Ad Hoc Legal Committee in 1984 to study the then new Florida Mobile Home Act (Chapter 723, Florida Statutes) to propose lobbying and legislative efforts for the interpretation and enforcement thereof and was instrumental in facilitating statewide mobile home park owner compliance with the law subsequent to enactment.
He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics related to cooperatives, manufactured housing communities and land use changes and regularly conducts seminars on real estate acquisition, development, leasing, legal compliance and residential cooperatives to commercial property owners, management companies, lending institutions, homeowner's associations and members of the Florida Bar Association. In 1994 he also authored the lender training manual on the legal requirements, documentation and underwriting for cooperative lending for Florida's then largest banking institution (Barnett Bank of Florida) and was the featured presenter for the Bank's advanced commercial real estate lending conferences held for Senior Lenders and Credit Officers in Tampa and Orlando.
David received his J.D. from the University of Miami in 1984, and his B.A., with honors, from the University of Florida in 1980.
Presentations and Publications
· The New Florida Mobile Home Act: An Overview, Community Associations Institute (Fall 1985)
· Surviving and Prospering in the Tampa Bay Real Estate Market, The Maddox Report (1986)
· Mobile Home Park Conversions: HOA and Lender Requirements, The Florida Bar (1992 Mobile Home Law Seminar and Lecture Program)
· Mobile Home Parks: Seller/Lender Perspective, The Florida Bar (1995 Mobile Home Law Seminar and Lecture Program)
· Community Owner Representation in Florida, The Florida Bar (1997 Mobile Home Law Seminar and Lecture Program)
· Cooperative Ownership in Florida, (1999 National Networking Roundtable, San Antonio, Texas)
· Preservation of Mobile Home Parks in Florida, The Florida Housing Coalition (2005)
Professional Memberships / Affiliations
University of Florida, Booster
Pinellas Real Estate Law Council, Past President
Tampa Real Estate Investment Council
American Bar Association
St. Petersburg Bar Association
Florida Bar Foundation, Member
Florida State Bar, Mobile Home Law Committee
Florida State Bar, Real Property Section
Florida Manufactured Housing Association
National Manufactured Housing Institute
Community Associations Institute (CAI), Suncoast Chapter
Other Distinctions
Super Lawyers® - Real Estate Law
Best Lawyers® - Real Estate Law
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Announcements
Adams and Reese Expands to Florida: Firm Continues Regional Growth, 12/2/2009
Adams and Reese Welcomes its Florida Attorneys, 1/2/2010
Bernstein, Dursum Join Firm's Executive Committee, 1/1/2011
Bernstein, McLaren Named Practice Group Leaders in Firm's Transactions and Corporate Advisory Services Practice, 1/1/2010