On Sunday, Hollywood writers and actors gathered in Santa Monica for a memorial to honor Bert Fields, power attorney. They shared stories about Fields’ legal prowess as well as his unconventional approach to helping clients.
The larger-than-life litigator — with clients that included The Beatles, Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Edward G. Robinson and Michael Jackson — knew a lot of the secrets behind Hollywood scandals that happened throughout his six-decade-long career. In the early 2000s, he was forced into Federal wiretapping and conspiracy investigation into Anthony Pellicano (respected private investigator).
The video that played to kick off the tribute addressed the controversies head-on — putting up a fake tabloid cover with the word “escandalo.”It also contained a 1967 clip that featured his appearance. “Dragnet”Jack Webb was a client. Tom Cruise paid tribute.
“He’s a very unique adventure, someone I knew we could always count on. That was Bert,”He stated. “Bert, I am happy you lived and that I got to know you. I love you and I always will.”
There was no doubt among the former clients, friends and family who attended his memorial service at Santa Monica’s Broad Stage (including Norman Lear. Dustin Hoffman. Michael Ovitz. Jeffrey Katzenberg) that Perry Mason loved to be a Perry Mason-like figure in the lives of the stars.
Fields’ long-time friend and emotional Dustin Hoffman called him. “a rascal.”
“My wife told me I should put my phone on silent before I came up here, and I said ‘but, what if it’s Bert?’”Hoffman spoke. “What I respected most was his loyalty. He was the most loyal friend, a true friend.”
The Harvard-educated lawyer with his firm Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger died Aug. 7 at his home in Malibu with his wife Barbara Guggenheim at his side. Fields passed away from long-term COVID effects, which he was diagnosed with in March 2020. He had Bell’s palsy as an aftereffect of the virus, which led to gradual paralysis of his body, starting from his larynx downward.
Fields was instrumental in many industry-changing deals and landmark cases in communications, entertainment, sports, and media. He represented George Lucas in contract negotiations for The Walt Disney Company’s Disney theme parks. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a mogul, also represented Fields in landmark actions against Disney. After rebuilding the animation business, the executive quit the company and Fields won a multimillion-dollar judgment against George Harrison.
More to come…
