Altman was formerly of counsel to Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, Illinois. He specializes in intellectual property and antitrust law. One of his notable cases is WarnerVision Entertainment Inc. v. Empire of Carolina Inc., 919 F. Supp. 717, 38 U.S.P.Q.2d 1417 (S.D.N.Y. 1996). Altman was on the faculty of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago for many years, teaching intellectual property and other subjects. Altman is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where he served as chairman of the Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Committee from 1982 until 1983. He is also a member of the American Bar Association.

He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University in 1955 and his LL.B. degree from Harvard Law School in 1958. In addition to his work for West, Altman has written many articles, including "Is There an Afterlife? The Effect of Patent or Copyright Expiration on License Agreements," Journal of the Patent Office Society (1982), and "Intellectual Property Law and the Construction Industry, Part I," Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society (1988) and "Part II" (1989). Altman is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, for which he served as director from 1978 to 1979. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. His speaking engagements include Leading Trade Identity and Other Unfair Competition Decisions Reported in 1987, 1986, 1985, and 1984, and Trademark Registration Developments: 1980–1985.

Altman is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in the World. He is also the 1988 recipient of the Gerald Rose Memorial Award. Altman was formerly general counsel for the North Shore Choral Society, is vice-president emeritus of the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Company, and was formerly a director of the 58 Group, a modern dance company. He is currently president of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, an umbrella organization for Humanistic Jewish congregations throughout the United States and Canada, and is a director of the Sarasota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism.