John F. Walker retired from the partnership in December 2003. He had a practice at Latham & Watkins that focused on tax and business law, with an emphasis on exempt organizations, pass-through entities (e.g., partnerships and LLCs) and state and local taxation.
Mr. Walker handled tax, corporate, finance and fiduciary matters for numerous nonprofit organizations, including foundations, schools and universities, hospitals and health care organizations, research entities and museums. He also developed an expertise in limited liability companies.
Mr. Walker was a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He is active in the areas of Los Angeles business tax reform and jury reform. In 1998 through 2002 he was named as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He is one of only 25 California lawyers so honored in all 5 years.
Mr. Walker was Managing Partner and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Latham & Watkins from 1988 through 1994. Previously he was assistant tax department chair, Associates Committee Chair and pro bono administrator.
He was born in The Bronx, New York, in 1942. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1963 with a degree in mathematics, and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1971. He is a retired Captain in the US Marine Corps and served one year as an infantry officer in Vietnam.
Mr. Walker is a past chair of the Board of Directors of Public Counsel, a public interest law firm. He also chairs a County Bar Task Force on State Court Jury Reform. Finally, he was appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan and reappointed by Mayor James Hahn to the Los Angeles Business Tax Advisory Commission. As Vice-President of that group, he is responsible in reforming the Los Angeles business license tax.