The collection consists of the historical collection of the Heller Ehrman law firm, including papers, books, photographs, and audiovisual materials related to the firm’s history, dated from 1893 to 2007.The materials were collected by Heller Ehrman staff to document the firm’s corporate history, and some were included in history exhibits installed in the firm’s offices. The collection does not include legal case files or materials documenting the firm’s 2008 dissolution.

Heller Ehrman had its start in 1890 when Emanuel S. Heller opened his law office at 124 Sansome Street, San Francisco. Early in his career Heller provided legal counsel to Isaias W. Hellman’s Nevada Bank and the Union Trust Company. In 1891 Heller moved his office to 309 Montgomery, perhaps to be closer to these two early San Francisco financial institutions. In 1896 Ehrman partnered with Francis H. Powers to form Heller & Powers; in 1905 the firm took on another partner, Sidney M. Ehrman forming Heller, Powers & Ehrman. The growing firm moved to 14 Montgomery in late 1905, but by April of 1906 their offices, law library and records had been destroyed by the San Francisco earthquake and fire. The firm, along with Wells Fargo Nevada National Bank and the Union Trust Company, took temporary refuge in Heller’s home at 1801 California Street. Eventually the firm relocated to more permanent offices at the convergence of Post, Montgomery and Market streets. Powers died in 1920 and shortly thereafter Jerome White and Florence McAuliffe joined the partnership, establishing the firm as Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe. The firm continued under this name until 2005 when it was shortened to Heller Ehrman.

20.0 Linear feet

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Library and Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Collection is open for research, with the following exceptions: motion picture, VHS, Umatic and Beta tapes are unavailable for viewing. Use digitized copies, available on DVD.