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Allan Littman Obituary

Allan N. Littman A determined and superb trial lawyer, an accomplished writer on the law, and a beloved husband, father and grandfather, died of cancer on December 20, 2010, at his home in Marin County, California. He was 81 and actively practiced law until his death. Born in England in 1929, Mr. Littman was evacuated with his mother and siblings to New York before the bombing of London and through the end of World War II. Mr. Littman studied law at Harvard, where he met his wife Caroline, a graduate of Mount Holyoke. In April of 1951 they were married and the next year he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. Hired by Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro of San Francisco, he practiced with the firm for 42 years, leading his own litigation group. He tried many cases for the major motion picture companies, International Harvester, Potlatch Corporation, United Parcel Service and others. He was also special trial counsel to the California State Board of Accountancy and the chief trial counsel for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of San Francisco in its investigation of what later became the Lincoln Savings & Loan Corporation/Charles Keating scandal. Mr. Littman joined BartkoZankel as counsel in 2002 where he continued to work in major commercial litigation, including a leading California court decision against Price Waterhouse that confirmed the right of all parties to a jury trial regardless of pre-dispute waivers. An expert in litigation involving accountants, Mr. Littman recently published the book The Fraud Triangle, detailing the century-long breaches by auditors of their public trust to detect and expose fraud that played a key role in the nation's recent financial crisis. Active in community affairs and professional associations, Mr. Littman was on Tiburon's town council, and was a Friend of the Bancroft Library. A key fundraiser for the building of the Belvedere-Tiburon library, he was also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Caroline; his sons Jeremy, Jonathan and Peter, and their wives, Tajali, Sherry and Barbara; and his adoring grandchildren, Alex, Elizabeth, Jesse, Katherine, Nicholas and Sam, and his step-grandchildren Isaac and Felicia, and son-in-law, Anton. This fall he was deeply saddened by the loss of his daughter Victoria. He was an intellectual gentleman with ecumenical interests and impeccable style, who fiercely questioned assertions and half-truths. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and professional colleagues. A memorial in his honor will be held on January 9, 2010 at 1 p.m. at the Community Congregational Church, 145 Rock Hill Drive, Tiburon. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Legal Community Against Violence, 268 Bush Street Suite 555, San Francisco, CA 94104.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jan. 2 to Jan. 3, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Allan Littman

Sponsored by Wendy Michaels, niece.

20 Entries

Carol Michelson

January 19, 2011

I am deeply saddened to hear of Allan's passing. I had the immense honor to be Allan's piano teacher for the past three and a half years. Allan loved music. He attended concerts, the opera, and the symphony. I looked forward to our weekly lessons. Allan would greet me with a warm smile, a twinkle in his eye and a kind and melodic voice as he would ask me about my week. He was a dedicated student, but was quite hard on himself. He would say, " I must be your worse student! " However, he was one of my best students. Each time I saw him, he would show me a new book he had found about the effect of music on the brain, or some research he did on the overtone series, or another way he had discovered to better understand the circle of fifths. He was very supportive and kind to me and had an interest in my music. He attended my CD release event with his lovely wife, Caroline. Allan was a wonderful man. I will miss him dearly. My sincere condolences to his beloved Caroline, and his family and friends.

Wendy Michaels

January 14, 2011

Words cannot convey my feelings and love for Aunt Caroline and my cousins and their families at this difficult time. Uncle Allan was my only uncle and a most extraordinary man.

As an impressionable teenager he briefly let me fly his plane; it was a beautiful sunny day and Uncle Allan flew proudly over his house in a wide circle. That thrill of being in an airplane has never left me.

I remember him beaming like a hero when he would beat his son Jeremy at tennis or squash, and if he lost he knew without a doubt that he would win the next time they played.

Uncle Allan drove dinner conversation like a locomotive engineer, blowing the whistle with absolute glee. We all learned so much when sharing meals with him; how to think, how to question, and how to defend what we believed.

He was there for me when I struggled in the dark parts of my life, like a lamp to light my way. He gave me courage to persevere and grow stronger through adversity.

At the reception of my father's funeral he gave me the greatest comfort; everything that could possibly be said was spoken without a word when he gently reassured me with a touch on the arm.

My most cherished memory of my uncle is his deep love for his Caroline. He radiated endearment even when he mischievously said something he knew would make her mad. When he spoke her name, “Caroline”, the truth and beauty of his love for her was a symphony of sound in his marvelous, distinctive voice. To me his greatest legacy is his uncompromising love for his wife, for his family, and for beauty, truth, and justice.

“Love endures all things, love never fails” (Bible, 1 Corinthians: Chapter 13, verses 7 and 8)

Kim Conchieri

January 13, 2011

I was shocked and devistated to hear about my Uncle Allan's death. I can't imagine the horrible pain the family must be feeling. Aunt Caroline and Uncle Allan became like second parents to me and grandparents to my daughter Ashley after my father died, Caroline's brother. Allan was such a vibrant, kind , knowledgable, funny man and we will miss him dearly.
Kim Russell Conchieri

Margie Dougherty

January 9, 2011

I've known Allan all my life as my dad's dearest friend and was deeply saddened to learn of his death. My thoughts and prayers to Caroline and family.

David DeGroot

January 4, 2011

My first project as a lawyer was for Allan. I vividly remember Allan sitting in his desk chair discussing that memo with me, the memory being fonder than the moment. Working with him was a delight. He also had the best outgoing voicemail I've ever heard, with his wonderful voice perfectly conveying his calm, class and gentle demeanor.

He was a great teacher and a model lawyer. It was an honor to know him.

Mary Friedland

January 4, 2011

Although I was aware of Allan's tremendous professional accomplishments, I knew him as a devoted head of a family who inspired, encouraged and sometimes pushed his children to be the best they could, and provided a consistent example for them of how to live a life of principles and service, and also have a heck of a good time. Allan loved good conversation and could be relied on to go the full 9 yards to keep up his end of it. He held the vision of a just and equitable world created through the honest practice of law. He will always be my role model of a man who never compromised on his principles. My condolences and wishes of peace to the family.

Paul Utrecht

January 4, 2011

I worked with Allan for the first three years of my practice. To this day I tell the other lawyers I work with lessons that I learned from Allan. Usually, I say that I learned the lesson from him, but sometimes I just pass the lesson on. My hope is that they will continue to pass Allan's lessons on to future generations of lawyers.

Allan was a taskmaster and demanded the highest quality work, but his demands were always (or almost always) made with a twinkle in his eye. He truly loved to practice law and was disappointed rather than angry when he learned that opposing counsel had done something that was less than honorable.

Allan made it clear that he loved his family. He always interrupted his work when Caroline called. I had lunch with him shortly after I left Pillsbury and he insisted that we go to the bookstore so that he could buy me a copy of Jonathon's (then) new book: Once Upon a Time in Computerland. Allan was very proud of Jonathon's accompishment.

Allan was a lawyer's lawyer -- always fighting, but always fighting fairly. The profession has suffered a real loss with Allan's death.

Rob Bunzel

January 2, 2011

I just read Allan's closing argument in his last case (won in 2010). He fused history, policy and the rule of law courageously as ever. I will very much miss not being able to talk to Allan about the principled life and purpose of justice.

December 30, 2010

It was with the greatest sadness that I learned of Allan's death. He was a giant of the legal profession, with an extraordinary intellect flavored always with humor and grace. And he was a grand friend.

I met Allan early in my practice with the Pillsbury firm, and had the very good fortune to join him and his practice group shortly afterward. What he showed me is precious still -- a depth of love for the law that is rare, a mind of enormous curiosity, a tenacity that bode ill for his adversaries (and not a few of his associates), a delight in the diversions of life, and a generosity of spirit that embraced all who came in contact with him. He was a gentleman. He was a scholar. He enjoyed a belly laugh.

The world is poorer for Allan's passing. I will miss him.

Parker Maddux

Marina Park

December 29, 2010

Allan was a superb lawyer; he also was a superb mentor. I met him on my first day of work as an associate at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in April 1983. That was back in the "old days" before we each sat alone at our desks with personal computers. Allan encouraged me to stand along side him at his writing desk and watch him edit my drafts. He explained each change he made and why. He brought me to depositions and oral arguments to "assist" him, then helped me prepare to take depositions and give oral arguments on my own and then reviewed the transcripts with me to explain what I did well and where I could have improved. It was a great gift to have a mentor who cared so much about law as a profession.

Allan also paved the way for me to pursue a balanced life, supporting me in a shift from my litigation practice to a transactional practice, even though that meant losing his well-trained associate, encouraging Pillsbury to permit me to work on a part-time schedule as an associate after my first child was born and advocating on my behalf to admit me as a partner in the firm (in 1992), while I remained working on a part-time schedule. Actually, "encouraging" is probably too tame a word. Any one who worked with (or on the other side of) Allan knows that he was a tenacious advocate of his position. I feel very fortunate to have had him on my side.

Allan was all that we can hope for in a mentor -- he was a teacher, he opened doors, sometimes he even bulldozed paths, and he was a heck of a lot of fun to work with. He was an old-school gentleman, but never made the mistake of taking work too seriously. He loved his family dearly, and I know that was a big part of why he was so committed to making sure that men and women at Pillsbury could make choices about how best to balance their lives.

I don't think I would have stayed in big law firm practice for almost 25 years, raising 3 wonderful kids along the way, with my husband of 26 years, if not for Allan's early support of "flex-time" and "part-time work." From my law firm practice, I moved on (I think much to Allan's delight) to become CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern California, helping to build the next generation of girls of courage, confidence and character.

Allan gave so much to me and to my family. In one of our final conversations he asked how I was doing, and I said, "I am doing well, but am so sorry to hear that you are not doing well." Allan's reply was classic Allan, and summarizes why I feel so blessed to have had him in my life: "Marina, 'well" is a relative term. If you are referring to fact that I am ill, that is one thing. On the other hand, I am the recipient of an outpouring of love and affection from friends and family, and in that respect, I am doing very well, indeed." I can only hope to live my days with the same grace as did Allan.

Kathie Meier

December 27, 2010

I have known Allan for 12 years and helped him with various book projects. He was a wonderful man, passionate about his profession and his writing. I am thrilled for him that he experienced the joy of seeing his book, The Fraud Triangle, in print. He will be greatly missed.

Jerry Falk

December 27, 2010

Allan was a one-of-a-kind lawyer and person. He was a tough adversary (and sometimes a tough co-counsel!), but he was always a gentleman and a lot of fun no matter which side of him I was on. He was also very creative and dedicated to his profession. I liked and admired him immensely.

It's probably very difficult for sons and daughters to fully get the measure of their father's professional ability and life, so I want you to know that your dad was one of the profession's very best. He had a passion for justice; he represented his clients tenanciously; and at the same time he always played by the rules and with a complete sense of fairness. I'm sure you're very proud of him and you have every reason to be.

Chris Hunt

December 27, 2010

Allan was possessed of great good humor, unflagging vigor, a fierce moral sense, and endless capacity for -- and joy in --intellectual give and take. He had a stubborn streak, and a very big heart. I miss practicing law with him, and I miss him.

Jerry Falk

December 27, 2010

Allan was a one-of-a-kind lawyer and person. He was a tough adversary (and sometimes a tough co-counsel!), but he was always a gentleman and a lot of fun no matter which side of him I was on. He was also very creative and dedicated to his profession. I liked and admired him immensely.
It's probably very difficult for sons and daughters to fully get the measure of their father's professional ability and life, so I want you to know that your dad was one of the profession's very best. He had a passion for justice; he represented his clients tenanciously; and at the same time he always played by the rules and with a complete sense of fairness. I'm sure you're very proud of him and you have every reason to be.

Michael Abraham

December 27, 2010

It was an honor and pleasure to practice with Alan. He was a superb lawyer, who maintained the highest professional standards.

Jan Goldenberg

December 27, 2010

I will remember with great fondness, Alan's youthful spirit, his enormous intellect and optimistic outlook. It was an honor for me to know him.

Toby Emerson

December 27, 2010

I was a secretary for Allan for years. He was always the perfect gentleman, had a smile for you and a twinkle in his eye because he enjoyed life and the law so much. By his side he had Caroline whom he loved so dearly encouraging that enthusiasm, and all of that was graced with four wonderful children - as he said himself, “I’ve had a good ride.”

Chris Cannon

December 27, 2010

I will always remember Alan’s smile and wry sense of humor. It was a privilege to have him as a colleague, a neighbor and a friend.

December 26, 2010

Memorial in Allan Littman's honor will be held on January 9th at 1:00 pm at the Community Congregational Church of Tiburon at 145 Rock Hill Drive in Tiburon

Peter Littman

December 26, 2010

Memorial in Allan Littman's honor will be held on January 9th at 1:00 pm at the Community Congregational Church of Tiburon at 145 Rock Hill Drive in Tiburon

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