Lifetime Achievement: Bernard Lee

Lee is a nationally known real estate lawyer who advises developers, joint ventures, corporations, governments, and quasi-governmental entities on development and financing of complex real estate projects. 

Lee has been a critical force behind many of Philadelphia’s most transformative projects over the last four decades, including in the development and financing of the Pennsylvania Convention Center; City of Philadelphia police headquarters; 30th Street Station-area revival; and Navy Yard redevelopment. He led development and financing of The Phoenix Condominium, The Hershey Company headquarters, and Hilton Hotel at Penn’s Landing. He has negotiated major hotel management agreements for the Doubletree chain, Ritz Carlton, and Omni, and led acquisition and development efforts on behalf of some of Philadelphia’s largest African American churches.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the profession during your career? The biggest changes I’ve seen in the profession are the use of technology in the preparation of work product and communication with clients, colleagues and opposing counsel and if I had to pick one change it If I had to pick one thing, it would be use of computers by attorneys with e-mail running a close second. When I started, it was not uncommon to write a letter and to mail it. The way to achieve speed in delivery was to have it picked up by Federal Express, take it to a Federal Express box, or if you were really delayed, take it to the airport for delivery by Federal Express. In the production of documents, the process has moved from the use of typewriters to various forms of electronic equipment and the persons preparing the documents has changed from one or one or two teams, to an assistant and work production centers for multiple lawyers, to many cases in which the lawyers themselves produce their own documents. In addition, technology has led to the replacement of in-person meetings and closings, with Zoom and electronic closings. Of course, there are substantive benefits to technology changes, which seem almost limitless.

What is one thing about the profession that has remained unchanged over the years? One part of the profession which has remained substantially unchanged over the years has been the lack of attorneys of color in large law firms, particularly Black attorneys. There does seem to have been a recent uptick and I certainly hope that trend continues.