Bert Fields dies: Powerful show business attorney for Tom Cruise, Weinsteins, George Lucas, Michael Jackson, Beatles and many more was 93

Bert Fields, a tirelessly dedicated entertainment lawyer who has represented clients including Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Tom Cruise, George Lucas, the Beatles, Michael Jackson and many more in countless major Hollywood cases, has passed away. He was 93 years old.

His rep told Deadline that Fields died Sunday at his Malibu home with his wife Barbara Guggenheim by his side.

Fields, a partner of Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, has proven many landmark cases in the entertainment and communications industry over the past decades. He represented the biggest studios and talent agencies in Hollywood during his unique career and other big names such as Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Nichols, Jerry Bruckheimer, Joel Silver, Madonna and the writers Mario Puzzo. James Clavell, Tom Clancy’s and Clive Cussler.

Burt Fields Q&A: Banning Disney, George Lucas, James Cameron, Harvey Weinstein, Napoleon, and the Next Big Thing

Harvey Weinstein said The New York Times In 2005, “in show business, arguing without Burt Fields is like walking in the Arctic without a jacket.”

A consummate negotiator and cautious pirate, the affable Fields loved history as much as the Hollywood interior was. Since the publication of his memoirs in 2020, Fields has been deeply proud of his literary output, with works on the debate on the authorship of Shakespeare, Richard III and Elizabeth I and, over the years, a love story about Napoleon and Josephine. .

Fields was a prolific writer. Every time godfather The author and client Puzo was working on is dead Ოakhi, Filled fields. Puzo, who admired Fields’ writing style in his legal writings, left notes for Fields about Borgia so that Fields could complete the historical novel.

Although Fields continued to work until recently, the lawyer was in poor health after contracting Covid in 2020.

“For 40 years we have been fascinated by Bertie’s brilliance, decency and charm,” said Bob Baradaran, managing partner of Greenberg Glusker, where Fields has spent most of his career. “Bert was a beloved colleague, friend and mentor who trained a generation of exceptional lawyers. We were lucky enough to meet and work with a truly exceptional lawyer and individual ”.

Many of his high-profile transactions and cases included portraying Katzenberg in his messy divorce from Disney, Lucas in his Disney theme park deal, and Jackson in his historic deal with Sony Music. Fields also won a major award for The Beatles and Apple Corp. Beatlemania musical, and then for George Harrison against his former manager. He represented Paramount in their appeal. Buchwald vs. Paramount the case is over upon arrival in America, And Beatty’s fight to keep Paramount from taking a few minutes out of her movie Rossi.

Cruz, a longtime client, said: “Bert Fields was a gentleman; An extraordinary person. He had a strong intellect, wit and charm that made every minute of his company enjoyable. I loved him very much and he will always love him. It was a privilege to be his friend. “

Fields also represented DreamWorks SKG and Steven Spielberg in winning the Oscar-winning film in 1997. friendship.

“Seeing Bert was like seeing an experienced surgeon,” Katzenberg once said.

Fields was known at Disney by then boss Michael Eisner.

“I think Lucas is done, I’m not sure,” he told Deadline in a 2015 interview. “But I got banned and Jeffrey Katzenberg really took care of it. He was working at Disney at the time and invited me to lunch and he said, “Look, I’m sorry about that and I’ll try to use it.” And he did. He was starting a strike against Disney by the show’s lawyers. I was going to say that if I get kicked out of the lot, none of us will. the Disney thing. But I didn’t have to because Jeffrey Eisner backed out. “

Fields was also a key figure in the case of Anthony Pellicano, a disgraced and convicted private investigator who specialized in digging dirt on Hollywood heavyweights by any means necessary, often illegally.

“I lost a dear friend, colleague and mentor,” said Pierce O’Donnell, partner of Greenberg Glusker. “Burt, originally from the United States, was simply the best attorney of his time in the same league as Clarence Darrow and Louis Nizer. Always a gentleman, Bert lived life on his terms. Tireless, Bert was truly a Renaissance man: a lawyer, author, historian, actor, curator, record artist and music enthusiast who knew every word of Cole Porter. I will miss my friend Bert more than words can express. “

Bertram Fields was born on March 31, 1929 in Los Angeles. After going to UCLA, he graduated with great pride from Harvard Law School, where he was editor of a magazine Revision of the Harvard law. After serving as first lieutenant in the US Air Force during the Korean War, he began practicing as a lawyer. He later taught at Stanford Law School and lectured annually at Harvard.

Fields leaves his wife, Barbara Guggenheim, a nationally renowned art consultant; his son, James Elder; his nephew, Michael Lane; and his niece Annabelle. We are told that a private family function will be held later this week, with a possible public commemoration later this summer.

Ted Johnson contributed to this report.