Hollywood’s power attorney Howard Weitzman, who represented the biggest celebrities, died very recently at the age of 81. From Michael Jackson to Marlon Brando and John DeLorean, Howard represented some of the biggest names in the tinsel town. He was also a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert law firm. The news is confirmed, and his family has also vouched for the same, stating that he passed away following a short illness. However, the real cause of death is not something we know yet!

Representing High-Profile Clients Since the 1970s.

A native of Los Angeles, Howard earned his law degree from USC. His first high-profile case was in 1973 after becoming a “court-appointed attorney” for Mary Brunner, the Manson Family member who even had a child with Charles Manson.

Howard had served from 1995-1998 as the executive VP of corporate operations for Universal. There, he took the responsibility of restructuring the corporate part of the business.

Strangely, his appointment was not taken in a very positive way, largely because it coincided with the studio acquisition by Seagram Co. in 1995. Just after Universal, he joined Massive Media, a digital start-up that became the “legal alternative” to the famous Napster, a pioneer in music file-sharing. Sadly the company closed down in 2000. Later on, Weitzman moved to practice privately with Proskauer Rose as a partner.

His entire career spans several decades. And he was the lead trial attorney in more than 200 civil and criminal jury trials. And over his successful career, he was representing over 1000 individuals and even companies on numerous grounds. His expertise includes intellectual property, entertainment, and even family law and estate matters.

He Was O.J. Simpson’s Lawyer

For a long time, Weitzman had retained his power and position of being one of the most prominent names among lawyers in his nation. He had represented Jackson when headlines flashed about him battling with an allegation of torture during the early 1990s to even the mid-1990s. Also, in 1994, Weitzman was catapulted to success after becoming the first attorney to have represented O.J. Simpson.

This was when the iconic football player was facing an investigation for allegations of double murder. He was a suspect in the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex-wife, and Ron Goldman, his friend. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted. Howard became vocal about how he knew his client was guilty of having committed the heinous crime.

In recent years, his clientele has grown significantly. This includes the likes of producer Ivan Reitman, pop star Justin Bieber, singer Axl Rose and also the show-runner Chuck Lorre.  Lorre was in a legal battle in 2011 with Charlie Sheen of “Two and a Half Men” fame. According to a 2015 interview in the California Super Lawyers magazine in 2015, he was representing one of the Black Panther case members.

Few other A-list clients and companies were also his clientele. This includes motion picture studios, talent agencies like William Morris Agency, CAA, and ICM. Alongside, there were hotshots like Sugar Ray Leonard, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Morgan Freeman, Magic Johnson, and Sean Combs.

His ‘Pellicano’ Connect

Whatever tricky situation came his way, Weitzman was famous for being the “fixer with connections” to sail through some of the toughest moments.  Private investigator Anthony Pellicano was his close comrade. It was later that Pellicano shifted to Los Angeles from Chicago, that too at the behest of Weitzman. There he had a tough time sorting through legal issues concerning John DeLorean, the auto magnate. In 2008, however, Pellicano got imprisoned. This was after his conviction for multiple charges like conspiracy racketeering and fraud. Just a couple of years back, he was released.

The ‘Reel’ Life Exploration

As if his physical identity wasn’t enough, Weitzman was a force to reckon with after he made cameos in movies like Thank You for Smoking. He was also in the Steven Bochco TNT drama of 2014 titled Murder in the First. His high-profile clients and top-level industry connections made him the legal consultant to Bochco’s ABC drama of 1995-1996 Murder One and Murder in the First.

Howard has left us no doubt. However, we can say that his legacy will stay alive through the years. And his survivors, including his wife, Margaret Weitzman, and sons Armen and Jed will continue to cherish his memories.