Jerry Carlton Obituary

November 17, 1941 - December 13, 2025 Jerry Weldon Carlton, prominent tax attorney and business advisor, passed away from natural causes on December 13, 2025, at the age of 84.
As a long-time Newport Beach resident, he led a large life: practicing law, raising his four children, and enjoying his 8 grandchildren. Jerry was born in the small West Texas town of Hamlin. From oil fields and farms, Jerry was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Texas Law School at the top of his class and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
He joined the prestigious Los Angeles law firm of O'Melveny & Myers in 1967, which remained his professional home for the next 35 years. Jerry did not fit the then very conservative, Ivy League tradition of large law firms. Bearded and Booted, Jerry broke the mold.
Jerry used his quick command of tax law to challenge existing laws to support his clients' goals. Among his many successful cases, two achieved national notoriety: the Superior Oil Proxy fight and the tax law case of the United States of America v Jerry W. Carlton, a case that he, with his partner Russ Allen, won at the trial and appellate level and then took all the way to the Supreme Court. The Proxy fight ended in a victory and the Supreme Court case ended with a 9-0 decision. Sadly, not in his favor.
Within O'Melveny, Jerry also was known for his administrative skills. Jerry opened the Orange County office of O'Melveny in 1979, to serve as its office head for three consecutive 5-year terms, growing the office from 2 lawyers to 40 in ten years. He also served on the Committee that managed the firm, worldwide.
While Jerry retired from O'Melveny and from the practice of law in 2002, he did not retire from his work as a business leader and "deal guy". Following his long career in law, he worked closely with Robert Day (prominent financier) leading various business deals and serving as a director for many public and privately held companies and philanthropic organizations, most notably the WM Keck Foundation.
A former law partner summed it up: "I would put Jerry's intellect at the top of our heap. He has made an enormous, substantive contribution, which should be recognized and remembered. But as all of us would agree his greatest contributions have been more spiritual. He has been the archetypal culture carrier, a throwback in the most positive sense of the word to the individuality and creativeness of the O'Melveny lawyer."
Jerry is predeceased by his first wife, Nita. Jerry is survived by his wife of 48 years, Lucyann; children, Kelly, Jay (wife, Melissa), Peter (wife, Katherine) and Scott; grandchildren, Jackson, Max, Olivia, Nia, Grayce, Reed, Scott Jerry, and Grayson. Sister, Sally Smith and niece Emily Hastings.
The family is respecting Jerry's wishes not to hold a memorial in his honor, as so many of us would wish to do. If you wish to honor Jerry's memory, a fund has been created at UCI Mind for Alzheimer's research. Donations can be made via https://secure.give.uci.edu/donation/ and noting the donation is in honor of Jerry Carlton.