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Who

White-haired, bespectacled Millstein is a legendary corporate attorney and partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Now in the twilight of his career, Millstein continues to serve as a partner at the fabled firm where he's worked for a half-century and also keeps himself busy with various educational and philanthropic endeavors.

Backstory

The Upper West Side native graduated Columbia Law and worked at the Department of Justice before joining Weil in 1951. He's been there ever since, advising high-profile clients on antitrust issues and government regulation. Over his storied career, he's had dozens of big clients including Walt Disney, General Motors, Westinghouse, Tyco, Bethlehem Steel, GE and Macys. Millstein has had an extensive career in public service as well: He was a close advisor to Mayor Abe Beame in the '70s—at one point, he was prepared to file the papers declaring the city bankrupt, which was averted at the last minute by a bailout by the United Federation of Teachers—and in the '80s and '90s, he advised the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Of note

Considered one of America's most influential attorneys, Millstein took a step back from day-to-day management of Weil in 1999. (Stephen Dannhauser currently serves as executive partner.) Millstein continues to counsel the firm's clients, but he's also become an active legal educator, and serves as an associate dean and visiting professor at Yale's School of Management. (In 2006, Yale renamed one of its business school programs the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance.) In recent years, he's been involved with various post-Sept. 11th legal matters, and served pro bono as counsel to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Millstein's latest cause du jour: putting an end to the SEC requirement for quarterly earnings reports, which he argues puts undue pressure on management and disproportionately impacts stock prices.

In print

He's co-authored multiple books with riveting titles like The Recurrent Crisis in Corporate Governance, The Limits of Corporate Power, and The Impact of the Modern Corporation.

Board game

Outside the office, Millstein serves on the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation Board and is a life trustee and former chairman of the Central Park Conservancy. He's also served as chairman for the antitrust sections of both the ABA and the New York Bar Association.

Personal

He's married to Diane Millstein, who runs a real estate development firm in Westchester. They live in Mamaroneck and have two grown children—Elizabeth and James—both of whom followed in dad's footsteps and became lawyers. James is a partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton.