The Hollywood Reporter writes…
Longtime outside counsel to the Recording Academy Joel Katz has resigned from Greenberg Traurig, the firm announced Monday.
Katz has long been one of the most influential attorneys in the music business. In addition to his work for the academy, which included the 2017 extension of Grammys broadcast deal that will keep the awards show on CBS through 2026, Katz has also acted as outside counsel for the Michael Jackson estate and was involved in the $750 million sale of Jackson’s 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing to Sony Corp.
Ousted Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan in January 2020 accused Katz of sexual harassment and the organization of widespread Grammy voting improprieties. Katz, through his attorney Howard Weitzman, emphatically denied the claims.
It’s unclear whether Dugan’s allegations played any role in Katz’s departure from the firm. His representatives have not yet responded to a request for comment.
“Joel Katz has, by mutual understanding, resigned from the firm as of December 31, 2020,” Greenberg Traurig executive chairman Richard A. Rosenbaum said in a statement. “Our global entertainment practice remains strong, diverse and among the largest, most dynamic and highest rated in the world, led by chair Bobby Rosenbloum in Atlanta, assisted by vice chairs Barbara Meili in New York and Dan Black in Los Angeles, as well as Jay Cooper, the founder of our Los Angeles Entertainment Practice, leading music industry lawyers Jess Rosen in Atlanta and Paul Schindler in New York, and many others. We thank Mr. Katz for his contributions over the years and have no further comment at this time.”
Over at Law.com they’ve provided a bit more detail …..
Greenberg Shareholder Accused of Sexual Harassment by Ousted Grammys Chief
Deborah Dugan claims she was put on leave after complaining that Joel Katz, a Greenberg Traurig shareholder and the outside GC of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, sexually harassed her.
Entertainment lawyer Joel A. Katz of Greenberg Traurig.Joel Katz, the founding chairman of Greenberg Traurig’s global entertainment and media practice and the founding shareholder of the firm’s Atlanta office, is at the center of sexual harassment allegations that rocked Hollywood on Tuesday afternoon.
Over at Variety they write
Katz, 76, who is also an officer at the Recording Academy, was accused of sexual harassment by ousted president-CEO in a blockbuster legal complaint against the organization early last year. Before her ouster, Dugan also sent a memo to the Academy’s head of HR expressing concern about the organization’s “exorbitant and unnecessary” legal fees to outside law firms, including Greenberg Traurig.
According to 990 forms (for tax-exempt organizations) filed to the IRS by the Academy covering the tax years 2013-2017, the organization paid out nearly $15 million over those years to two law firms — Greenberg Traurig LLP and Proskauer Rose LLP — as well as millions in additional legal expenses. Those firms are headed by Katz and Chuck Ortner, respectively, both of whom have worked closely with the Academy, particularly former president/CEO Neil Portnow, for decades and also represent Academy executives and/or Board of Trustees members (including new interim president/CEO Harvey Mason, Jr., a Greenberg Traurig client).
While Katz led the negotiations for the Grammys’ 10-year, $500 million deal with CBS in 2016, the Academy has paid more than $1 million per year to Greenberg for other legal services, according to its tax records The Recording Academy has no in-house attorney or business affairs executive, choosing instead to pay outside law firms, apparently for all of its legal work. Reps for the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Katz is also one of the music industry’s top and most entrenched lawyers, having represented many executives (including L.A. Reid and Republic Records’ Monte and Avery Lipman) over the years as well as artists including Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Buffett, Julio Iglesias, Willie Nelson and many others; he also was the chief negotiator for Scott Borchetta in the acquisition of Big Machine Records by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. Sources tell Variety that both Katz and Ortner are also paid salaries as outside general counsels by the Academy, as well as expenses.
More at https://variety.com/2021/music/news/power-attorney-joel-katz-exits-greenberg-traurig-1234882608/
