Lawyer bigwig in tax scam: feds

A former senior partner at a prestigious New York law firm has been indicted by the feds for allegedly hiding $2.1 million from the IRS.

Theodore Freedman, 63, who worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, was hit with four counts of tax fraud for understating his income and making bogus expense claims on his tax filings. He faces up to three years in prison on each charge.

Freedman voluntarily surrendered and was slated to be arraigned in Manhattan Federal Court yesterday, prosecutors said.

Freedman — who until recently owned a $1.4 million home in Dutchess County and $1 million-plus Lincoln Center apartment — raked in $5.4 million in Kirkland & Ellis partnership income from 2001 to 2004, according to court papers.

But on his tax returns, filed jointly with wife Frances, Freedman claimed he made just $3.3 million — and also claimed to be sole proprietor of his own law office, according to prosecutors. Freedman also claimed expenses of $548,726 as a sole operator.

Freedman claimed on tax forms that he operated his business for three years in Dutchess County, and a fourth year in Manhattan, the indictment said.

Kirkland & Ellis, in a statement, said Freedman resigned from the firm last October.

“We understand that the federal indictment relates exclusively to Mr. Freedman’s personal conduct,” the firm said. “Accordingly, the firm will not comment on the matter.”

According to public records, Freedman recently transferred his Pine Plains, NY, home to his wife, and his Manhattan apartment was transferred to a California trust.

Freeman pleaded not guilty to the charges yesterday and was expected to post $100,000 bail.