Howard L Weitzman

Howard Weitzman, an entertainment lawyer whose client list bristled with the names of some of the nation’s most famous, and infamous, celebrities — including Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber and, for two days, O.J. Simpson — died on Wednesday April 7 2021 at his home in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. He was 81. Howard L. Weitzman is a top-rated attorney selected to Super Lawyers for 2004 - 2020. He works at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, located in Santa Monica, California, and provides legal services for issues involving Entertainment & Sports, Business Litigation and Estate & Trust Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar to the surrounding community. Howard Weitzman completed legal studies at University of Southern California Gould School of Law and graduated with the class of 1965. Mr. Weitzman's career took a detour in 1995 when, with little studio or corporate experience, he left his practice to become an executive vice president at MCA, then the owner of Universal Studios. He left in 1998 after clashing with executives at Seagram, MCA's parent, saying that his exit was not entirely voluntary. Mr. Weitzman tried his hand as an Internet entrepreneur before returning to litigation at Proskauer in 2002. He had first gained fame by successfully defending John Z. DeLorean, the auto entrepreneur, against drug trafficking charges. He represented the actor Hugh Grant after he was arrested with a prostitute. Mr. Weitzman helped the singer Courtney Love regain custody of the 11-year-old daughter from her marriage to the late singer Kurt Cobain. In addition to his wife Margaret Weitzman, Mr. Weitzman is survived by two sons, Armen and Jed, and two grandchildren. His first marriage, to Stacey Cooper Furstman, ended in divorce.