Scott H. Racine (JD '78) Selected as Bradley University's 2025 Distinguished Alumnus
Pepperdine Caruso Law alumnus Scott H. Racine (JD '78) has been selected as Bradley University's 2025 Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor awarded by the Bradley University Alumni Association. Racine will be presented with the award at Bradley University's Founder's Day on October 3, 2025.
Racine is the benefactor of Caruso Law's annual Scott H. Racine Award for Excellence in the Study Taxation.
From Bradley University:
From his earliest days as a Bradley University psychology student, Scott Racine understood the power of service and the importance of impact. That sense of purpose has guided his remarkable career—one that spans social work, law, corporate leadership, education, and philanthropy—and made him a trusted advisor to some of the world’s most influential figures in both entertainment and business.
After graduating from Bradley in 1972 with a degree in psychology, Racine began his career as a social worker, devoting his time to helping others on a personal level. Yet he soon realized that he wanted to effect broader change and turned to the law as a vehicle for greater impact. Initially set on juvenile justice, Racine quickly discovered an unexpected talent for tax law, a field that would become his professional calling.
He earned his law degree from Pepperdine University in 1978, where he was an editor on the Law Review, and went on to complete a master’s in taxation at New York University School of Law in 1979—an advanced credential that positioned him at the forefront of the field. A number of large firms from both coasts tried recruiting him, but he chose to clerk for the honorable William Drennen, the chief judge of the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, DC.
In the 1980s, Racine was making his mark as a tax attorney in Los Angeles, representing an extraordinary roster of clients that included Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Ellen DeGeneres, Quincy Jones, Sharon Stone, and musicians Bob Dylan, Sir Elton John, Mick Jagger, and Bruce Springsteen. His ability to navigate complex financial landscapes for high-profile entertainers established him as a trusted authority in a notoriously challenging field.
As his career advanced, Racine shifted from entertainment to high-stakes corporate work, where he handled mergers, acquisitions, and tax planning at the highest levels. He rose to become head of the Los Angeles tax department at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, one of the largest law firms in the world. There, he advised powerhouse clients such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Nike, and Sony.
Among his most notable accomplishments was leading tax planning and structuring for the $26 billion leveraged buyout of Clear Channel Communications Inc., in 2010—it was the largest leveraged buyout in history at the time.
In addition to his practice, Racine shared his expertise with future generations of lawyers as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, the University of San Diego, and Loyola Law School. His dedication to teaching reflected his belief that knowledge is most valuable when it is passed on to others. After he retired, Racine continued to embody Bradley’s values of service and leadership. He helped establish a legal clinic serving low income and immigrant tax payers in Los Angeles, and he advocated for Bradley’s psychology department, and supported initiatives across campus.
His lifelong commitment to giving back has inspired both his colleagues and his alma mater. Racine’s professional excellence has been recognized widely. He has been named to Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Who’s Who in American Law, Southern California Super Lawyers, and Corporate Counsel’s Top Lawyers in America, among others. In 2016, he was honored as the Bradley University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
With a career defined by achievement, service, and integrity, Scott Racine exemplifies what it means to be a Centurion.