Power Lawyers 2012
8:30 AM PDT 7/18/2012 by THR Staff
Meet Tom Cruise's protector, Ryan Seacrest's dealmaker and the woman keeping Lindsay Lohan out of jail as THR reveals the top 100 entertainment attorneys in America.
This story first appeared in the July 27 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.
To mix things up for this year’s Power Lawyers issue — THR’s list of the top U.S. entertainment attorneys — the honorees were asked to answer a short questionaire.
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One query consistently provoked the most interesting responses: “What’s the worst thing someone has said to you?” From the funny (Barry Hirsch: “You mean, besides ‘F—you?’ ”) to the heartfelt (litigator Patty Glaser noted the “unprintable” insults “from the mouths of really insecure men”), Hollywood lawyers put up with a lot of negativity.
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In fact, if there’s one quality each attorney in this issue shares, it’s the ability to solve high-profile problems against great odds, whether it’s settling a major divorce in less than a week (as Bert Fields and Allan Mayefsky did in July for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, respectively), saving a deal that’s about to fall apart (as Jeanne Newman did for Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner) or being first on the scene when a client dies (as Kenny Meiselas was with Whitney Houston).
In its sixth year, the Power Lawyers issue has become a de facto guide- book to Hollywood’s biggest problems. But after reading about these intelligent, aggressive advocates, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the industry’s ability to solve them.
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How the List Was Chosen
To determine Hollywood’s 100 most influential attorneys (in alphabetical order), THR canvassed the biggest deals and cases of the past year. Lawyers were broken down into four categories — talent dealmakers, litigators, corporate dealmakers and “troubleshooters” (divorce or criminal matters) — and evaluated against their peers based on cases won/nature of deals closed as well as their reputation within the entertainment legal community. In-house studio, network or talent agency lawyers are not eligible (it’s too difficult to gauge influence within a corporate structure).
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Karl Austen Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Kleinread more
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John Branca Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Skip Brittenham Hollywood’s A-list dealmaker leads a double life as a closet comics...read more
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Harold Brown Gang Tyre Ramer Brownread more
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Melanie Cook Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Craig Emanuel Loeb & Loebread more
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Patti Felker Felker Toczek Gellman Suddleson read more
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Sam Fischer Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Howard Fishman Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof & Fishmanread more
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David Fox Myman Greenspan Fineman Fox Lightread more
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Michael Gendler Gendler & Kellyread more
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Cliff Gilbert-Lurie Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Carlos Goodman Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodmanread more
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Ira Schreck Schreck Rose Dapello &Adamsread more
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Eric Greenspan Myman Greenspan Fineman Fox Rosenberg & Lightread more
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Tom Hansen Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren Richman Rush & Kallerread more
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Alan Hergott Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodmanread more
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Barry Hirsch Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof & Fishmanread more
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Jim Jackoway Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Kleinread more
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Craig Jacobson Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newsman Warren Richman Rush & Kallerread more
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Matthew Johnson Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Joel Katz Greenberg Traurigread more
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Deborah Klein Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Kleinread more
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David Lande Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Linda Lichter Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler & Feldmanread more
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David Matlof Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof & Fishmanread more
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Kenny Meiselas Grubman Indursky Shire & Meiselasread more
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Joel McKuin McKuin Frankel Whiteheadread more
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Jon Moonves Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcanoread more
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Kevin Morris Morris Yorn Barnes & Levineread more
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Marcy Morris Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austin Mandelbaum Morris & Kleinread more
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Bob Myman Myman Greenspan Fineman Fox & Lightread more
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Peter Nelson Nelson Davis Wetzsteinread more
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Jeanne Newman Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren Richman Rush & Kallerread more
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Robert Offer Sloane Offer Weber & Dernread more
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Don Passman Gang Tyre Ramer & Brownread more
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Lee Phillips Manatt, Phelps & Phillipsread more
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Bruce Ramer Gang Tyre Ramer & Brownread more
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Ken Richman Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren Richman Rush & Kallerread more
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Lawrence Rose Gang Tyre Ramer & Brownread more
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P.J. Shapiro Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Nina Shaw Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcanoread more
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Jason Sloane Sloane Offer Weber & Dernread more
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Gary Stiffelman Ziffren Brittenhamread more
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Steve Warren Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren Richman Rush & Kallerread more
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Alan Wertheimer Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Kleinread more
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Bryan Wolf Ziffren Brittenhamread more
