Howard O. Bernstein
Top rated Business & Corporate attorney in Boulder, Colorado
Howard O. Bernstein, P.C.
Practice areas: Business & Corporate, Civil Litigation, Closely Held Business; view more
Licensed in Colorado since: 1994
Education: University of Colorado Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2025 - 2026 Call today:
303-800-3201
Howard O. Bernstein, P.C.
1111 Pearl Street, Suite 203Boulder, CO 80302 Visit website
Licensed to practice law for over three decades, attorney Howard O. Bernstein serves as the managing attorney of Howard O. Bernstein, P.C. Basing his practice in Boulder and attending to clients in Colorado statewide, his broad spectrum of practice areas includes business and corporate law, civil and commercial litigation, employment law, entertainment law, estate planning, international tax, mergers and acquisitions, wills, tax law, and international transactions.
Catering to a wide range of legal issues, Mr. Bernstein emphasizes his practice on international law, small-business law, employment and taxation. Also a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of CPAs, he utilizes all of his varied experiences to serve his clients with efficacy. This also includes his prior role as associate regional counsel for the U.S. Small Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration degree (1979) from Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Completing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University (1977), Mr. Bernstein went on to graduate with his J.D. from the University of Colorado (1994). He has also secured an advanced professional certificate from New York University’s Stern School of Business (1984).
Closely affiliated with several prominent legal organizations, Mr. Bernstein has memberships in the American Bar Association and the Colorado Bar Association. Actively involved in pro bono activities, he has received the 2014 John Robert Marshall Award for his volunteering services for the less fortunate in Boulder County and has been a part of the Boulder County Legal Services. A testament to the results he has fetched within the years of his practice hitherto, he has been peer-review rated “Distinguished” through Martindale-Hubbell.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Business/Corporate, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Closely Held Business, Employment & Labor: Employee, International, Tax: Consumer, Tax: BusinessFocus areas
Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Employment Law - Employee, Labor Law, Limited Liability Companies, Partnership, Sexual Harassment, Sub-chapter S Corporations, Tax Law, Wage & Hour Laws
- 30% Business/Corporate
- 20% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Closely Held Business
- 10% Employment & Labor: Employee
- 10% International
- 10% Tax: Consumer
- 10% Other
First Admitted: 1994, Colorado
Professional Webpage: https://www.bernsteinattorney.com/attorneys/howard-bernstein...
Bar / Professional Activity
- “International Commercial Transactions,” Colorado Bar Association, 2013 - Moderator
- The American Academy of Attorney-CPAs selected me to chair its Outreach and Development Committee. The committee focuses on making dually-licensed Attorney-CPAs available to the public, such as experts to be interviewed for articles, guest lecturers in academia, and instructors for continuing education programs. , 2025
- American Academy of Attorney-CPAs, Past President
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Member
- California Society of CPAs, Member
- Bar of the State of Colorado, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- University of Colorado, College of Music - Guest Lecturer
Pro bono / Community Service
- Board of Directors for Open Studios.
- Board of Advisors for Indie Advance.
- Raises money for The Children’s Hospital by riding in the Courage Classic cycling tour.
- Provides pro bono assistance through Colroado Legal Services.
Honors
- Recipient of the 2014 John Robert Marshall Award.
- 2014 Best Lawyer and Law Firm Award – Colorado Daily
Educational Background
- Advanced Professional Certificate (post - M.B.A.), New York University, Stern School of Business
- M.B.A., Cornell University, Johnson School of Management
- B.A. with honors, Columbia University
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- “Colorado’s New Limited Liability Entities,” Boulder County Bar Newsletter, Vol. 18, Issue 5 (November 1995)
- “International Business Transactions”, Chapter in the Practitioner’s Guide to Colorado Business Organizations, Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc., 2006, updated bi-annually
- Teaching Assistant - University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, for Business Law, 1993-1994.
- “International Taxation in Colorado,” NBI, 1998
- “Employee vs. Independent Contractor,” Lorman, 2004
- “Keeping on Track: Avoiding Ethical Dilemmas and Malpractice,” NBI, 2005
- “Creating Comprehensive Employee Handbooks,” NBI, 2006
- “Ethics: They Also Apply to Law Office Management,” NBI, 2007
- “Employment Laws Made Simple,” NBI, 2008
- “Asset-Based Deals,” Boulder County Bar Association, 2008
- “Small Office Management for the Legal Professional,” NBI, 2008
- “Who is an Employee?” Boulder County Bar Association, 2010
- “Workplace Commission,” AAA-CPA, 2011
- “Social Media in the Workplace,” Boulder County Bar Association, 2011
- “Tax Considerations in Settlement Agreements,” Boulder County Bar Association, 2013
- “Choosing the Right Entity for Doing Business Abroad,” Colorado Bar Association, 2013
- “Advising Businesses Going International,” Colorado Business Law Institute, Colorado Bar Association, 2013
- “Illuminating Inversions,” AAA-CPA, 2015
- “Gender Identity in the Workplace,” Boulder County Bar Association, 2015
- “Workplace Commission: Independent Contractor vs. Employee,” AAA-CPA, 2016
- “Tax Treatment of Client Settlements,” Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, 2017
- “Tax Consequences of Settlements and Jury Verdicts,” Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association (PELA), 2019
Office location for Howard O. Bernstein
1111 Pearl Street, Suite 203
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 303-800-3201
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2025 - 2026
