Our History
AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF PARKER MILLIKEN
Parker Milliken has deep roots in Southern California history.
It traces its beginnings to 1913 when the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified authorizing the imposition of federal income taxes. In that year, Claude I. Parker, having served as the first Collector of Internal Revenue for Los Angeles, opened the law office of Claude I. Parker, the first office west of the Mississippi devoted exclusively to federal income tax matters.
Mr. Parker’s office developed into what is now Parker Milliken.
Enhancing its tax capabilities with the addition of Calvin Coolidge’s tax advisor and appointee, Board of Tax Appeals Judge John B. Milliken, the Roaring Twenties also saw Parker Milliken expand from providing only tax services to offering
general probate, trust and estate planning, and litigation services. Parker Milliken became well known in the Los Angeles legal community as a premier tax and estate planning firm.
In the 1940’s, Frank W. Clark, Jr. became associated with Parker Milliken, and its legal capabilities branched out into the area of general transactional business representation, providing advice, planning and drafting services to corporations, partnerships, and their owners.
In 1963, John F. O’Hara brought his labor law and related litigation practice to Parker Milliken. His association as a partner was the first step in significantly augmenting Parker Milliken’s practice into areas other than tax, probate and estate planning, corporate, and real estate. The Firm was now poised to handle the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, labor strikes and representation before the National Labor Relations Board.
Throughout the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Parker Milliken grew, substantially expanding its corporate law and litigation capabilities, and adding depth to its established areas of practice. During this period, Parker Milliken became a prominent full-service business law firm, with expertise and talent able to address the full panoply of legal issues and needs of businesses, their owners, and others.
During the late 1970’s and the 1980’s, the Firm’s business expertise was crucial in the sale of their businesses by various long-time clients to ever-larger players across a wide range of industries. In 1979, the lawyers of Parker Milliken completed what was then the largest corporate transaction in history, the $3.635 billion sale of Belridge Oil Company to Shell Oil Company. Overseeing this and countless other transactions, Parker Milliken’s practice grew by leaps and bounds utilizing experience and resourcefulness to satisfy the needs of its clients.
On January 1, 1984, the Firm’s name was changed to Parker, Milliken, Clark, O’Hara & Samuelian, reflecting the Firm’s increased visibility arising from Karl M. Samuelian’s role as a key confidant to Governor George Deukmejian. From this role, Karl leapt to the national stage, playing important campaign roles for President George H. W. Bush. Parker Milliken remains politically involved today on both sides of the aisle, particularly at the local and regional level.
For nearly a century Parker Milliken has evolved into the multifaceted firm that it is today. Such a long history yields more than just experience – it builds a tradition: A tradition of confidence, service, and pride.
