Bernard Barnett, one of the nation's leading tax experts, was known not only for his professional expertise but for his involvement and leadership in many professional organizations. His noteworthy accomplishments throughout his distinguished career attest to his accounting acumen - he apparently admitted to being fascinated with accounting from his very first exposure to it in college - but his secret, which he willingly shared with his younger colleagues, was to get involved in society committee work and he did. Mr. Barnett rose to leadership positions in the New York State Society of CPAs, serving as president from 1976-77 and he chaired several AICPA task forces on estate taxation, to name a few.

Bernard Barnett graduated magna cum laude from the City College of New York in 1941 with a degree in accounting. He was with Apfel & Englander from 1941 to 1969 and rose to the position of senior partner. In 1970, he joined Seidman & Seidman where he was national director of tax practice until 1986. He then served as a senior consultant with BDO Seidman from 1987 until his death in 2005. Mr. Barnett was a frequent speaker and writer on tax law and estate planning, and was a champion of estate tax reforms.