Bernard T. King represents private and public employee benefit plans and labor unions. Nationally recognized for his body of work, Bernie is consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who Legal and New York Super Lawyers.

Bernie serves as counsel to a diverse base of employee benefit plans including large and small multiemployer plans, public plans and the benefit plans of professional athletes. In addition, Bernie represents labor unions in both the private and public sectors and engages in a wide variety of proceedings, including contract negotiations, labor board cases, arbitration and litigation.

Bernie has shaped the legal landscape of employee benefits and labor law. He is a Founding Fellow and Governor of the College of Employee Benefit Lawyers, a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has served as the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. Bernie has been awarded The American Arbitration Association’s prestigious Whitney N. Seymour Award. For many years he served as a professor of law in Cornell University’s Extension Division, Labor Studies Program.

In his spare time, Bernie enjoys spending time with his family and four grandchildren. He is an avid runner and skier.

Bernard T. King
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Areas Of PracticeEducation
  • Juris Doctor, cum laude, 1959 Syracuse University Syracuse, New York
  • Bachelor of Science, Industrial and Labor Relations, 1956, Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York
Bar & Court Admissions
  • New York State, United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Publications
  • “ERISA Update – Year 2000 Status Report” Labor Law Developments 2000, 47th Annual Institute Southwestern Legal foundation, 2000
  • “Developments in Employee Benefits 1999 – Litigation, Legislation, Regulation” Labor Law Developments 1999, 46th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1999
  • “ERISA Update – Overview – Recent Significant Decisions”, Labor Law Developments 1998, 45th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1998
  • “Litigation Issues in ERISA Cases”, Labor Law Developments 1997, 43rd Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1997
  • “Litigation Issues in ERISA Cases”, Labor Law Developments 1996, 42nd Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1996
  • “ERISA Litigation and Other Important Developments”, Labor Law Developments 1995, 41st Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1995
  • “Current Legal Developments Under ERISA — The Litigation Explosion Continues,” Labor Law Developments 1994, 40th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1994
  • “Current Legal Developments Under ERISA,” Labor Law Developments 1993, 39th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1993
  • “ERISA – Recent Litigation and Other Significant Developments,” Labor Law Developments 1992, 38th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1992
  • “The Continuing Explosion of ERISA Litigation”, Labor Law Developments 1991, 37th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1991
  • “Recent Developments Under ERISA,” Labor Law Developments 1990, 36th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1990
  • “Current Issues in Collective Bargaining,” Labor Law Developments 1988, 34th Annual Institute, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1988
  • “The Aging Workforce and Health Care Cost Containment,” The 1988 Commerce Clearing House Labor and Employment Law Symposium, 1988
  • Editor, “The Developing Labor Law, Second Edition,” BNA-ABA, 1983
  • Co-Editor, “The Developing Labor Law Cumulative Supplement,” 1971-1975, and Editor-in-Chief of 1976, 1977, and 1978 Annual Supplement, Section of Labor Relations Law, American Bar Association
  • Co-Author, “New Antitrust Developments Affecting Labor Law,” Legal Notes & Viewpoints, Vol. 3, No. 4, August 1983
  • “Structuring Employee Benefit Plans Under the ADEA,” Age Discrimination in Employment Act, A Compliance & Litigation’s Manual, 1982
  • “Procedural Problems in Arbitration and Some Proposed Remedies,” 1980 Annual Meeting of Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution
  • “The Rising Costs of Labor Arbitration: A Symposium,” Labor Law Section Newsletter, New York State Bar Association, Vol. 4, No. 1, March 1980
  • Co-Author, “Current Trends in Construction Industry Labor Relations – The Double-Breasted Contractor and the Prehire Contract,” Syracuse Law Review, 1979
  • “Pre-Election Conduct – Expanding Employer Rights and Some New and Renewed Perspectives,” Industrial Relations Law Journal, School of Law, University of California-Berkeley, 1978
  • “The Taylor Act, Experiment in Public Employer-Employee Relations,” Industrial Relations Review, 1968 and Syracuse Law Review, 1969
Speaking Engagements
  • Lecturer, Labor Studies Program, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 1974-1986.
Affiliations
    • Onondaga County, New York State (Member, Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section 1976- and Chairman, 1980-1981) and American (Member, Labor Law and Employment Law Committee, 1963
    • Chairman of Labor and Employment Section of American Bar Association, 1987-1988
    • Co-Chairman, Committee on Development of the Law Under The NLRA, 1977-1979
    • Member, ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, 1981-
    • Co-Chairman of PLI Program presenting Construction Industry Labor Relations, 1977 and 1979, Council Member, Section of Labor Relations Law, 1979-
    • Co-Chairman, Publications Committee, 1982-1987
    • Member: Liaison Committee on Developing Labor Law, 1982-1992
    • Employee Benefits Committee, 1982-
    • Delegate to ABA House of Delegates, 1992-1998
    • Member, ABA Committee on the Drug Crisis, 1992-1995
    • Liaison, 1995-
    • Member, ABA Committee on Prepaid Legal Services, 1996-) Bar Associations
    • American Judicature Society. United Way of Central New York Corporate Member, 1971-1975
    • Member, Board of Directors, 1981-1987
Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corporation Member Board of Directors, 1972-1975
  • LeMoyne College Alumni Association President, 1974-1977
  • Manlius Pebble Hill School Member, 1974-1980, Board of Trustees, Vice President, 1977-1979, President, 1979-1980
  • Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, Secretary, 1978-1981
  • Naval Academies Selection Board 33rd Congressional District Committee Member, 1980-1983
  • Central New York Chapter, Labor and Employment Research Assoc.Founding Co-Chairman, 1985
  • American Bar Association Chairman, Labor and Employment Law Section, 1987-1988
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Delegate to House of Delegates, 1991-1997
  • Standing Committee on Group and Prepaid Legal Services 1996-1999
  • Standing Committee on Substance Abuse 1992 to 1995
  • Liaison to Committee 1995 to present
  • Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, 1982 to present – Chairman
  • Liaison from Labor and Employment Law Section, Council to Employee Benefits Committee, 1982 to present
  • Co-Chairman, Publications Committee, 1982-1992
  • Co-Chairman, Committee on Development of Law Under the NLRA, 1971-1976
  • Council Member, 1979 to present
  • Co-Chairman of PLI Program Presenting Construction Industry Labor Relations, 1977 and 1979
  • Fellow, College of Labor & Employment Lawyers
  • Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
  • American Prepaid Legal Services Institute Board of Directors (Past Director)
  • New York State Bar Association Chairman, Labor Law Section, 1980-1981
  • Member, Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section, 1976 to present
  • Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association
  • American Arbitration Association Regional Advisory Committee, 1982 to present, Board of Directors, 1988 to 2001, Committee Member
  • Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolutions
  • Salvation Army Advisory Board
  • LeMoyne College Board of Trustees (Past Trustee),Board of Regents
  • Syracuse University College of Law, Board of Visitors 1985-2004.