This lawyer cannot be reviewed
Bernard Vernon Kearse III

Bernard Vernon Kearse III

5.0
Rating: 9.8

Licensed for 49 years

Elder law Lawyer at Atlanta, GA
Practice Areas: Elder Law, Employee Benefits, Estate Planning, Probate

5565 Glenridge Connector Ste 350, Atlanta, GA

About Bernard

Biography

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Georgia for 35 years

State: Georgia

Acquired: 1990

Emeritus

No misconduct found

Licensed in South Carolina for 49 years

State: South Carolina

Acquired: 1977

Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Virginia for 44 years

State: Virginia

Acquired: 1981

Retired

No misconduct found

Licensed in Illinois for 48 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1977

Retired

No misconduct found

Location

The Kearse Law Firm, PC

5565 Glenridge Connector Ste 350, Atlanta, GA, 30342-4705

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Bernard Vernon Kearse III's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

25 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (25) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Responsiveness

Posted by Terry | March 02, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Wills & Living Wills

Very helpful, knowledgeable and easy to work with.

It was a pleasure working with Mr. Kearse and his assistant in taking care of my will, power of attorney and health care directive. I was under a time crunch with upcoming surgery and he was able to take care of everything well within my timeframe. I highly recommend him.

Posted by Huey | October 31, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

very personable,excellent service, excellent advise

I really enjoyed having Mr. Kearse take care of my estate planning. He is very knowledgeable on current state laws and his expertise is quite impressive! I was able to take care of my Last Will, Power of Attorney and my Directive for Health Care all at once. He and his assistant were so very nice and... his service was prompt. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend Mr. Bernard Kearse to everyone! A++++

Posted by Chris | July 11, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Probate

No will left, excellent lawyer

I was the sole inheritor of my mothers estate, and upon her death she had no will in place. Bernard and his team (esp Alaina) helped me through the arduous and time-consuming task(s) of becoming administrator of the estate, even though I lived over a thousand miles away out of state. He/Alaina were v...ery thorough and timely in responding to all of my inquiries, and they continue to follow-up with me even now that the estate has been sold, to be sure that I am aware of things that have to be done (by me) are done correctly. I could not have asked for a better, more professional and competent team to work for.

Posted by Joseph | May 16, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

A much needed blessing during a tumultuous time.

I was referred to Bernard through a closing attorney, i retained his services a little under two years from present. His confidence, experience, and strategy for my case was reassuring, and plans were executed to perfection. My particular case was extremely complicated, and i could not have done it w...ithout him and his team. All of the staff there are friendly, familiar with my case, and i don't have any issues getting answers and arranging meetings. I always felt like i was in good hands and that my best interests were considered throughout the process of working my case. I recommend Bernard to anyone seeking legal needs pertaining to his area of expertise, and will continue to do so in the future.

Posted by Heidi | March 20, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Very easily understood and thorough

Bernard helped my husband and myself with our wills and estate planning. In our case, because of several adopted children, one of whom is special needs, there were several items which we had never thought of, and he was able to bring it to our attention and advise us wisely. Everything about the ...experience was comfortable, relaxed, and friendly. Lovely people in the office, from answering the telephones to Bernard himself; they were prompt, easy-going and family oriented. The atmosphere was conducive to allowing us to ask any question we may have had; even if they seemed trivial. We were particularly impressed by the personal attention paid to our case in that emails were answered quickly and telephone calls were often from Bernard personally, not an assistant who had no idea about our case. When we met for our final signing of the documents, everything was completely organized and ready to go. During the meeting, each document was also thoroughly explained in ways that we could understand. We appreciate Bernard and all his staff for their help and will not hesitate to use them again. We know that they are there to help.

See All Client Reviews

Bernard Vernon Kearse III's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Bernard
Paul James Coburn headshot
Paul Coburn

Estate planning lawyer | Mar 14

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I met Bernard Kearse through a colleague years ago. We have had the opportunity to consult on matters together, and I have been happy to send clients to Bernard for their trust and estate needs. Bernard is a skilled and knowledgeable attorney and I hold him in the highest regard."

View All Endorsements

No Endorsement Data Available Yet
This attorney hasn't created any attorney endorsements recently on Avvo.

Experience

Rating:  9.8 (Superb)

Honors

2018

10 Best, American Institute of Legal Counsel

2018

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2018

AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2014

Top Lawyers, Legal Network

Work Experience

1992 - Present

Principal, The Kearse Law Firm

1989 - 1992

Of Counsel, Trotter Smith & Jacobs/Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

1986 - 1989

In House Attorney, Emhart Coporation

1980 - 1986

Associate, Hunton & Williams

1977 - 1980

Associate, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP A Law Firm Serving Global Clients

Associations

2016 - Present

Digital Assets Committee of the American Bar Association

Member

2014 - Present

American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, Estate Planning and Estate Administration for Business Owners Committee

Chairman

1981 - Present

Virginia Bar Association

Fellow

1980 - Present

Georgia State Bar Association

Fellow

1978 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association

Fellow

1977 - Present

American Bar Association

Fellow

1977 - Present

South Carolina Bar

Fellow

1996 - 1996

Leadership Sandy Springs

Former President

1996 - 2016

Sandy Springs Mission

Board Member

Education

1977

University of Miami

LL.M - Master of Laws

1976

University of South Carolina

JD - Juris Doctor

1972

Wofford College

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2016

Seven Hills Community Association

Digital Assets in Estate Planning

2016

Mount Paran Christian School

Basic Estate Planning

2016

2016 Bebefits Selling Expo

2016 Update on ERISA Form 5500

2015

Jackson Health Care

Basic Estate Planning

2015

Emory University

Advanced Estate Planning

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution