Donald R. Bernard

Donny R. Bernard’s career in business, law, and the military spans more than 50 years. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Juris Doctor in 1958, he held responsibilities as Assistant Attorney General with the State of Texas. In 1960, Bernard entered into private practice as Partner in the Houston law office Bernard & Bernard. He concurrently held responsibilities within the U.S. Navy, receiving admission to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Donny Ray Bernard retired from military service in 1975, having achieved the rank of U.S. Navy Commander in the Submarine Service. He continued to practice with Bernard & Bernard until initiating a solo practice in Houston in 1980, which he continued for 14 years. Mr. Bernard served as Professor of International Law at Houston’s University of St. Thomas from 1991 to 1994, subsequently fulfilling guest lecturer responsibilities with the College of Business at Montana State University. 

A longtime fly fisherman and big game hunter, Donald Bernard currently engages in two business ventures related to these interests. As co-owner and Vice President of Estancia Laguna Verde in southern Patagonia, Argentina, he manages a fishing lodge catering to international guests. The operation also produces gourmet smoked rainbow trout marketed in Buenos Aires, which has export potential for the North American and European markets. Mr. Bernard also holds policy-level management responsibilities as co-owner of Golden Stag Safaris, an exotic big game hunting ranch in La Pampa, Argentina. 

Donny Ray Bernard has a decades-long interest in flying, having piloted in air shows with the Confederate Air Force throughout the 1970s. He maintains certification as a mountain search pilot through Montana Emergency Services. Mr. Bernard is qualified to fly more than 40 types of aircraft spanning jet, prop, and turbo-prop models. 

Active in legal associations for much of his career, Donny R. Bernard held status as Chairperson Emeritus for the International Law Section of the Houston Bar Association and was Committee Liaison for the Mexican Legal Profession with the Texas Bar Association.