SAN FRANCISCO, May 7, 2008 -- Sideman & Bancroft LLP names Ellen I. Kahn managing partner of the firm. Practicing in the Tax and Estate Planning Group, Kahn has been with the firm for 25 of its 30 years in business. She will serve a three-year term.
"Sideman & Bancroft's unique culture is manifested in many ways, including the fact that our partners are highly accomplished and recognized experts in their fields. Ellen exemplifies this combination of character, service and deep expertise," said Chairman Richard J. Sideman. "As we mark our 30th anniversary, it is gratifying to have an attorney, who has built her legal career at our firm, take on the managing partner post. Ellen's term marks a milestone in our focused transition of firm values to the second generation of firm leadership. Her selection as our new leader is a great starting point for our next 30 years."
Kahn expects the coming years to be a period of growth for the firm. "When we look at what is happening out there, we see opportunities for Sideman & Bancroft. We were founded by practitioners who understood the importance of unparalleled expertise and trusted relationships with clients. Our business model has attracted a special breed of attorney who likes to be out in front of the issues and in the trenches with the client, rather than a cog in the wheel of a much larger firm," she said. "Over the next 18 months, we intend to add increased depth to our already strong practice areas. We will move strategically to find the most qualified individuals to join our boutique white collar, estate planning, tax litigation, intellectual property, business, real estate, family law and litigation practices. I am very optimistic about our future."
Kahn added, "In addition to being the first woman managing partner of our firm, Sideman & Bancroft is now a woman-owned law firm – and with 24 attorneys, we are one of the largest with this distinction in the country. This is an enormous achievement and a recognition of the important role that woman play in the legal community generally. It is an honor to be leading Sideman & Bancroft at this historic moment."
In her legal practice, Kahn focuses on all aspects of estate planning and the estate and trust administration process. She represents key executives and founders of public and privately held companies; spouses and domestic partners; multiple generations of families; and trustees and beneficiaries of trusts. Kahn advises in creating wills, trusts and charitable entities to achieve clients' goals concerning their children, grandchildren and philanthropy. She also represents trustees and executors in their roles as administrators of complex trusts with multiple beneficiaries and multiple assets, including operating businesses.
Kahn is a member of the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust section of the San Francisco Bar Association and of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council. She serves on the board of directors of the Breast Cancer Fund and Mount Zion Health Fund. Kahn received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law (1981) and her B.A. from New York University (1978).
Founded in San Francisco in 1978, Sideman & Bancroft LLP has significant expertise in real estate, business transactions, business crimes defense, civil litigation, family law, intellectual property transactions and litigation, and tax. The firm is committed to the highest quality representation, provided by seasoned counselors dedicated to personal attention and responsiveness. On the net: www.sideman.com.