Howard Lloyd Weitzman (September 21, 1939 – April 7, 2021) was an American

entertainment lawyer Entertainment law, also known as media law, encompasses legal services provided to the entertainment industry. These services often overlap with intellectual property law, which includes key components such as trademarks, copyright, and the right o ...

active in matters ranging from intellectual property and entertainment issues to family law and estate issues. He was notable for representing

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's estate in the IRS case against it. His other famous clients included

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

, O. J. Simpson, and

John DeLorean John Zachary DeLorean ( ; January 6, 1925 – March 19, 2005) was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry. He is widely known as founder of the DeLorean Motor Company, as well as for his work at General Motor ...

. Weitzman was a founding partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump LLP (KWIKA), a boutique litigation firm in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

Education

Weitzman completed his B.A. degree at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

(1962) and his J.D. degree at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (1965). He was admitted to the

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is an administrative division of the Supreme Court of California which licenses attorneys and regulates the practice of law in California. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law ...

in 1966.

Early career

Weitzman taught trial advocacy at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law for 12 years. From 1995 to 1998, Weitzman served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Operations for

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

, where he was responsible for corporate restructuring.

Legal career

For a time, Weitzman was a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law (the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). In 1986, he became a managing partner at the law firm of Wyman Bautzer, and then in 1991 joined the law firm of Katten Muchin Zavis & Weitzman. In 1994, after

Nicole Brown Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the second wife of American professional football player, actor, and media personality O. J. Simpson. She was murdered outside her Brentwood home, along with her friend Ro ...

and Ron Goldman were murdered, Nicole's ex-husband, O. J. Simpson, was one of Weitzman's clients and soon became the primary suspect. Though Weitzman initially offered his legal help, after enough evidence was produced to suggest Simpson was the killer and put him on trial, Weitzman dropped Simpson as a client, forcing him to hire Robert Shapiro and

Johnnie Cochran Johnnie Lee Cochran Jr.Adam Bernstei ''The Washington Post'', March 30, 2005; retrieved April 17, 2006. ( ; October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was an American attorney from California who was involved in numerous civil rights and Police b ...

instead. Weitzman also appeared as a legal advisor in ''Murder One'' (1995), ''Murder in the First'' (2014), and ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2005). Weitzman died in Los Angeles from cancer on April 7, 2021, at age 81.

Awards and recognition

Weitzman twice won the

Jerry Giesler Harold Lee Giesler, known professionally as Jerry Giesler (November 2, 1886 – January 1, 1962) was an American trial attorney. Giesler was the defense attorney of record for many of the highest-profile litigations, both criminal and civil, in ...

Memorial Award as an outstanding trial lawyer in Los Angeles County.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weitzman, Howard 1939 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers American entertainment lawyers Deaths from cancer in California Lawyers from Los Angeles USC Gould School of Law alumni