Bernard R. Baker III

Bernard R. "Robin" Baker III is of counsel to the firm and a member of the firm's Real Estate Department and Leisure and Resorts Practice Group. He is also president of Premier Title Company, the firm's affiliated title insurance agency, and is director of Owners and Members National Insurance Services, LLC, an affiliate of the firm that markets specialized insurance products for the private club industry.

Practice Areas

• Leisure & Resorts
• Golf and Amenities Master-Planned Community Development
• Club Membership Plans; and Real Estate Development and Finance

Education

Case Western Reserve University, J.D., 1972
University of Toledo, B.A., 1969

Professional Associations and Memberships

Ohio Bar, admitted 1972
The Florida Bar, admitted 1976
Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Bar Grievance Committee Member, 1981-86
(vice chair, 1984-85)
United States Tax Court, admitted 1972
American Bar Association
Corporation, Banking and Business Law Section
Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
Palm Beach County Bar Association
National Golf Foundation, sponsor member
National Club Association
Urban Land Institute (vice chair, Community Development Council, Blue
Flight, 1995-01)
Member, International Council, 1995-96
Member, Program Committee 1997-02

Civic and Community Service

Palm Beach County Association for Retarded Citizens
President, 1984
Director, 1979-84
Palm Beach Community Chest/United Way
Vice President, 1988
Director, 1984-88
Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, director, 2000-01
Palm Beach Civic Association Transportation Committee Member, 2006-07
Palm Beach Board of Realtors Education Committee Member, 2007
Palm Beach Sailing Club
Commodore, 1979 and 2000-01
Director, 2001-07

Honors

Florida Bar President's Award for Meritorious Public Service
AV Rated (means that his legal ability and ethical standards are very high to
preeminent) as independently determined by Martindale-Hubbell
Appointed permanent member of faculty of Harvard University
School of Design, 1998.

Seminars and Presentations (partial listing)

“Ask the Experts: Golf and Golf Communities,” The Urban Land Institute,
Charleston, SC, 2001, Scottsdale, AZ, 2000, Washington, DC, 1999
“Development Decisions and Golf Course Positioning - The Legal Angels,”
Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA, 1996-1999
“Global Leisure Development,” South African Property Owners Association,
Sun City, South Africa, 1997
Moderator: “Breaking the Mold: Innovative Golf Marketing Concepts,” The Urban
Land Institute, Napa Valley, CA, 1996
Moderator, “The Earth is Flat, My Advertising is Working and Other Erroneous
Assumptions,” The Urban Land Institute, Cleveland, OH, 1996
“Raise More Money from Memberships,” Crittenden Golf Inc. Expo, Atlanta, GA,
and Monterey, CA, 1994
“Maximizing Your Return From Membership Sales,” Crittenden Golf Inc Expo,
Nashville, TN, 1993
“New Tends In Club Membership Programs,” Institute for International Research
Golf Course Development, Financing and Operations Conference, Orlando,
FL, 1992
“Designing a Membership Plan,” Golf Course Europe ‘90, Paris, France, 1990

Publications (partial listing)

"Joining the Club," Florida Trend Magazine, 1998
"Private Clubs Tee Up To Remedy Discriminatory Practices," The Club
Marketing Report, 1995
"Club Memberships and Real Estate Sales: Resolving the Tensions Between
Marketability and Flexibility," Golf Development Magazine, 1992
International Memberships: New Capital Markets for Golf Projects?" Urban
Land 24, 1991
"Equity Membership Plan Concepts," "Membership Plan Concepts/Non-Equity or
Annual Programs," and "Equity Clubs - Maximizing the Value of Golf and
County Club Amenities," National Golf Foundation Executive Summaries,
National Golf Foundation, 1990
"A Tax-Wise Equity Club Structure", Urban Land 23, 1990, Co-Author; "New
Equity Club Structure Improves Cash Flow," Land Development 21, 1990
"New Equity Structure Improves Cash Flow," 2 Golf Course News 29, 1990.