Robert A. Bernhard

Robert "Bobbie" Arthur Bernhard (born 1928) is an American banker best known as the final Lehman Brothers descendant to serve as partner of the firm.

Bernhard was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Richard Jaques Bernhard and Dorothy Lehman Bernhard. Bernhard joined Lehman Brothers in 1953, and became General Partner in 1962. At Lehman Brothers, Bernhard was Head of Investment Management Division and served on the Boards of the Lehman Corporation and the One William Street Fund. Bernhard left Lehman Brothers in 1972, becoming a partner at Salomon Brothers in 1974 until its profitable merger with Phibro in 1981.

In 1981, he opened his own firm, Bernhard & Associates. In 1990 it merged with Orson Munn & Company to create Munn, Bernhard & Associates (MB Investment Partners). In 1997 he became a partner of McFarland Dewey & Company.

Robert Bernhard became chairman of the board in 1995. He was responsible for choosing George Campbell Jr. as successor to John Jay Iselin.

Bernhard, a friend of Jerry Speyer, was influenced by bold maneuvering from the Tishman Speyer CEO in giving them management of the Chrysler Building, Cooper Union's biggest asset.