Michael A. Kahn

Michael Kahn is the senior partner of Folger Levin & Kahn LLP. Mr. Kahn's practice involves federal and state court proceedings throughout the United States. Mr. Kahn has tried over twenty cases to verdict with a success rate of over ninety percent. Mr. Kahn has also argued over a dozen appeals in State Supreme Court and Federal and State Courts of Appeal and has arbitrated over a dozen cases to decision (with over a 90% success rate). Mr. Kahn has been involved in numerous landmark cases including PeopleSoft v. Oracle in which he represented PeopleSoft; U.S. v. Stringfellow in which he was lead trial counsel and City of Atascadero v. Merrill Lynch in which he represented the "Killer Bs." He was appointed by the California Supreme Court to represent the defendants in a landmark search and seizure case and a death penalty case.

Government Appointment Roles and Representative Matters

• Member and Committee Chairman: Advisory Group, Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 1990-1994.
  
• Commissioner: State Senate Commission on Property Tax Equity and Revenue, 1990.
  
• Member: California State Insurance Commissioner Task Force on Insurance Industry Practices; Chairman: Unfair Practices Committee, 1991-1994.
  
• Member: Northern District of California Masters' Committee of the Task Force on Expedition of Dispute Resolution, 1982-1988.
  
• Member: California State Insurance Commissioner Task Force on Environmental Liability Insurance, 1993-1994.
  
• Evaluator: Early Neutral Evaluator for the United States District Court, Northern District of California, 1990-2002.
  
• Arbitrator: San Francisco County Superior Court, 1981-.
  
• Member: Senator Boxer Judicial Advisory Committee, Northern District of California, 1995-1998.
  
• Chair: California State Commission on Judicial Performance, 2000; Vice Chair, 1999; Member, 1999-.
  
• Member: Bay Area Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, 1999-.
  
• Chair: California Electricity Oversight Board, 2000-2001.
  
• Chair: California Green Team, 2001.
  
• Member: California Electrical Operation and Maintenance Board, 2002-2004.
  
• Trustee: Gray Davis Papers.
  
• Chair: California ISO Board of Governors, 2001-2005.
  
• Mr. Kahn has been involved in the screening and selection of candidates for the Bench for two California Governors and one U.S. Senator.

Publications

• "Political Cartoons and Caricatures from the collection of Michael Alexander Kahn," 2007
  
• "May It Amuse the Court," Hill Street Press, 2005
  
• "The Politics of the Appointment Process: An Analysis of Why Learned Hand Was Never Appointed to the Supreme Court," Stanford Law Review, 1973.
  
• "On the Appointment of Justices to the Supreme Court," Stanford Law Review, 1974.
  
• "Justices and Presidents," California Law Review, 1975.
  
• "Local Pretrial Rules in Federal Courts," American Bar Association Litigation Journal, 1980.
  
• "Early Neutral Evaluation: An Experimental Effort to Expedite Dispute Resolution," Journal of the American Judicature Society, 1986.
  
• "Recent Developments in Lender Liability Litigation Under RICO, Sherman Antitrust Act and Bank Holding Act," Practicing Law Institute Handbook, 1988, 1990, 1991.
  
• "Report of the Senate Commission on Property Tax Equity and Revenue to the California State Senate," June 1991.
  
• U.S. v. Stringfellow (CIV 83-2501, N.D. Cal., Ideman, J.), Julien, Opening Statements, §14.07, 1992.
  
• "Shattering the Myth About President Eisenhower's Supreme Court Appointment," Presidential Studies Quarterly, 1992, and Woodrow Wilson Quarterly, 1992.
  
• Book review of "America's Constitutional Soul," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Fall 1992.
  
• Book review of "Capitol Games," Presidential Studies Quarterly, 1993.
  
• Book review of "Turning Point/Dream Makers, Dream Breakers," Presidential Studies Quarterly, 1993.
  
• "The Appointment Of John McLean To The Supreme Court: A Case Study In Practical Presidential Politics In The New Jacksonian Democracy," Journal of Supreme Court History, Yearbook of the Supreme Court Historical Society.
  
• "Report of California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi's Environmental Insurance Issues Task Force," March, 1994.
  
• Book review of "Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Freedom First," 1995.
  
• Review essay of "The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up The Federal Appointments Process," 1995.
  
• "The Appointment Of A Supreme Court Justice: A Political Process From Beginning To End," Presidential Studies Quarterly, 1995.
  
• "Is There A Confirmation Mess?," Point Counterpoint: Readings In American Government, 1998.
  
• "Abraham Lincoln's Appointments to the Supreme Court: A Master Politician at his Craft," Journal of Supreme Court History, 2nd Vol. 1997.
  
• Inside the Minds, Building & Growing a Law Firm, Founding Partners on the Essentials for Developing a Client Base, Earning Prestige & Ensuring Firm-Wide Success, 2004.

Education

• Magna Cum Laude, University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., 1970.
• Stanford University, M.A. in Political Science, 1973; J.D., 1973.
• Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Alpha, Phi Eta Sigma at UCLA.
• Irving Hellman, Jr. Scholar, Stanford Law School.
• Stanford Law Review, 1971-1972; Book Review Editor, 1972-1973.

Memberships

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS (Past and Present)

• American Law Institute (Adviser, Restatement of Torts (Third): Apportionment)
• Board of Visitors Executive Committee
• Stanford Law School Stanford Law School, (Law Fund National Chair: Board of Visitors and Dean's Strategic Council Member)
• Center for the Study of the Presidency (National Advisory Council/Board of Trustees/Treasurer)
• Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco
• California State Bar Convention Delegate
• San Francisco Public Defenders' Office Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Coordinator of Ben C. Duniway Memorial and Scholarship Fund
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• State Bar of California
• American Bar Association, Sections on Litigation and Antitrust Law
• Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society (Board Member)
• Supreme Court Historical Society
• Legal Aid Society of San Francisco (Board Member)
• American Arbitration Association (Commercial Panelist)
  

OTHER PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

• Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco
• Commonwealth Club of San Francisco
• Coro Foundation (Past President)
• Grolier Club - Grolier Club Exhibit entitled "Political Cartoons and Caricatures from the Collection of Michael Alexander Kahn"
• Lake Merced Golf & Country Club
• UCLA Chancellor's Associates
• Silverado Country Club
• Stanford Associates
  

CURRENT COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIP

• InPro Biotechnology, Inc. (also serves as officer)
• Liquid Environmental Solutions
• Premier Pacific Vineyards (chairman of Executive Committee)
• DWK Advisors (Partner)