Attorney Howard Weitzman, who had a client list including Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, Marlon Brando, Morgan Freeman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Meyer and CAA, has died at the age of 81.
The Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert founding partner passed away Wednesday in his hometown of Los Angeles from cancer.
One of the first lawyers to withdraw from defending NFL superstar Simpson in his infamous criminal trial for the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, Weitzman was a powerhouse among the sharp elbows of Hollywood attorneys. Unlike many in the upper echelon of his profession, Weitzman worked both sides of the Hollywood power game. Having served as EVP, Corporate Operations for Universal Studios from 1995-1998, the Class of 1965 USC Law Center grad also taught at his alma mater for over a decade.
However, it was in often relentless service to his clients that the quick-witted and strategic Weitzman made his mark in legal circles.
After the death of the King of Pop in 2009, Weitzman worked with fellow lawyer John Branca and recording executive John McClain to turn Jackson’s estate from deep in the red. Within a few years the estate was flourishing, in no small part thanks to $750 million sale of the performer’s lucrative 50% stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing to Sony Corp that Weitzman helped orchestrate.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Deadline