The relocation of Alston & Bird tax partner Ethan Millar from Atlanta to the Los Angeles office signals the firm’s decision to significantly bolster its tax platform on the West Coast. Millar is a nationally recognized leader in the area of multistate and federal taxation, having represented major business entities across the United States in audits, administrative appeals, litigation and corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, liquidations and joint ventures, as well as public and private securities offerings. He chairs the State and Local Subcommittee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.
"With 70 attorneys, Alston & Bird has one of the largest law firm-based tax practices in the country," noted managing partner Richard Hays. "The demand to strengthen our West Coast tax practice is significant, and Ethan's knowledge of both federal and state tax issues, especially his knowledge of California tax law, provides a critical cornerstone for further growth on many fronts."
Millar is also one of the nation’s foremost experts in the rapidly growing field of unclaimed property. He founded and chairs the Unclaimed Property Subcommittee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, has assisted in drafting unclaimed property legislation and is currently developing comprehensive model legislation in the field. He has helped dozens of businesses, including many Fortune 500 companies, minimize risk associated with unclaimed property through internal restructurings and other planning techniques, with a special focus on gift card and rewards programs. In addition to his transactional work, Millar’s unclaimed property practice also focuses heavily on audit defense and other controversy matters.
Millar is a frequent and much sought after writer and speaker on state tax and unclaimed property issues, and has served as an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law, one of the nation’s top law schools. Millar received both his J.D., where he graduated Order of the Coif, and B.S., summa cum laude and with honors, from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a member of the Tax Sections of the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Georgia.