In 1956, after a short career as a certified public accountant, James R. Bancroft (1919-2018) graduated from Hastings College of the Law and opened a law office on Montgomery Street in San Francisco. James H. McAlister (1927-2000) and Luther J. Avery soon joined the practice, and the partnership of Bancroft, Avery & McAlister was launched. Over the many decades since its founding, the firm has specialized in estate planning and trust administration, business, and tax law. Notable former attorneys of the firm who developed and carried forward the rich legacy of the founders include Alan D. Bonapart (1930–2019), George R. Dirkes (1926-2015), Robert L. Mills (deceased 2021), Richard D. Nelson (1944-2012), Norman A. Zilber (retired 2017), and Dennis Leuer (retired 2020).