Power Lawyers 2012
8:30 AM PDT 7/18/2012 by THR StaffMeet 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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Lincoln Bandlow Lathrop & Gageread more
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Richard Busch King & Ballowread more
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Richard Charnley Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentleyread more
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Scott Edelman Gibson Dunn & Crutcherread more
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Michael Elkin Winston & Strawnread more
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Bonnie Eskenazi Greenberg Gluskerread more
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Steven Fabrizio Jenner & Blockread more
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Bert Fields Greenberg Gluskerread more
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Russell Frackman Mitchell Silberberg & Knuppread more
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Bryan Freedman Freedman & Taitelmanread more
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Gary Gans Quinn Emanuelread more
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John Gatti Stroockread more
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Patricia Glaser Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiroread more
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Charles Harder Wolf Rifkin Shapiro Schulman & Rabkinread more
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James Janowitz Pryor Cashmanread more
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Neville Johnson Johnson & Johnsonread more
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Martin Katz Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hamptonread more
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Bruce Keller Debevoise & Plimptonread more
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Richard Kendall Kendall Brill & Kliegerread more
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Howard King King Holmes Paterno & Berlinerread more
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Dale Kinsella Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert read more
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Adam Levin Mitchell Silberberg & Knuppread more
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Steve Marenberg Irell & Manellaread more
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Skip Miller Miller Barondessread more
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Mark Passin Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresiread more
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Daniel Petrocelli O'Melveny & Myersread more
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Michael Plonsker Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresiread more
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Glenn Pomerantz Munger Tolles & Olson read more
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Kelli Sager Davis Wright Tremaineread more
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Robert Schwartz O'Melveny & Myersread more
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Marty Singer Lavely & Singerread more
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Orin Snyder Gibson Dunn & Crutcherread more
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Larry Stein Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylorread more
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Rick Stone Jenner & Blockread more
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Gail Title Katten Muchin Rosenman read more
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Marc Toberoff Toberoff & Associatesread more
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Howard Weitzman Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisertread more
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Alonzo Wickers Davis Wright Tremaineread more
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Jonathan Zavin Loeb & Loebread more
