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American lawyer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adam Fredric Streisand[1] (born June 9, 1963, in New York City)[2] is an American trial attorney notable for his involvement in high profile litigation with regard to private wealth disputes, fiduciary litigation, business succession and "partnership disputes and litigation involving trusts, estates and conservatorships."[3]
Adam Streisand | |
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| Born | Adam Fredric Streisand June 9, 1963 New York City, US |
| Education | Trinity College (BA) American University Washington College of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Years active | 34 |
He is credited with preserving both NBA franchises in Los Angeles, having represented former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at trial against Donald Sterling over the Los Angeles Clippers,[4] and Jeanie Buss in litigation over control of the Los Angeles Lakers.[5][6] Streisand also represented Dea Spanos Berberian and Georgia Angelos in litigation involving succession and control over the LA Chargers and Baltimore Orioles, respectively.[7][8] Streisand is one of the most influential people in Los Angeles,[9][10] due to his involvement in battles over the estates of the rich and famous, including Michael Jackson,[11] Tom Petty,[12] Hugh Hefner,[13] Muhammad Ali, Ray Charles, Marilyn Monroe,[14] Marlon Brando, Douglas Tompkins,[15][16][17] Barry White, Dennis Hopper, Michael Crichton,[18][19] Anna Nicole Smith, Rodney Dangerfield, Rock Hudson,[20] Joey Bishop, Bing Crosby, Gore Vidal,[21][22] Carroll Shelby, Alan Thicke,[23] Terry Semel[24] Allen Paulson[25] and others.
Streisand graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, with a BA in history.[26] During college, he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris for one academic year.[26] After college, he served as legislative aide to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md).[26] Streisand graduated cum laude from American University, Washington College of Law, a member of the Honor Society, and an editor of the Law Review.[26]
Streisand began his legal career in entertainment litigation. On behalf of his clients, Beastie Boys and Capitol Records, Streisand won the first digital sampling case in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, Newton v. Diamond, et al.[27][28] Streisand won a palimony case for comedian Bill Maher brought by former girlfriend, Coco Johnson.[29][30] Streisand achieved a significant settlement against Faye Dunaway, Terrence McNally and others over the film rights to the stage play Master Class for producer Lester Persky.[31] Streisand successfully defended Diana Ross in a copyright infringement action by photographer Art Shay. He successfully litigated a copyright infringement action for BMG Music Publishing against Melissa Etheridge. Streisand represented Quincy Jones, the key witness in the defamation trial by Steve Wynn against "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis, in which the jury returned a $40 million verdict.[32] Streisand obtained an injunction for Jacques Cousteau against the use of the Cousteau name in connection with a Fiji resort against Jean-Michel Cousteau and others. Britney Spears retained Streisand in connection with the petition to establish a conservatorship over the singer.[33][34][35][36] Streisand successfully represented Kobe Bryant in a defamation action.
Streisand transitioned from entertainment litigation to trust and estate litigation, becoming well known for success in both celebrity and traditional estate cases.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Streisand has been widely acknowledged as a leading American trial attorney, particularly in the field of trust and estate litigation.[45][46]
Streisand is cited as being the architect of the strategy to rely on an arcane provision of the California probate code, section 1310b, resulting in a trial victory for Steve Ballmer and his $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers.[47] Streisand was also involved in the drafting of legislation, including amendments to the California Celebrities Rights Act, to ensure the protection of a deceased celebrity's name and likeness and its descendibility to the celebrity's heirs.[48] The estate of Marilyn Monroe retained Streisand to draft the amendments to the California Celebrities Rights Act.
In 2018, Adam Streisand represented Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss who was under pressure from an attempted coup by her brothers, Jimmy and Johnny Buss.[49] Streisand’s pre-emptive strike not only led to cementing permanently Jeanie’s control of the Lakers, but the instant removal of her brothers from their positions as co-trustees of the trust established by their father, Jerry Buss, which owns the team.[50]
The children of Leonard Cohen hired Streisand to represent them against Cohen's former manager, Robert Kory, whose attorney forged documents naming Kory the trustee of Cohen's estate. Streisand successfully returned control of the estate and monies Kory earned while acting in the capacity of trustee back to Cohen's children and heirs.[51]
Streisand represented Dea Spanos Berberian in a significant legal case against her brother, Dean Spanos, regarding control of the Los Angeles Chargers. The lawsuit addressed fiduciary disputes within the Spanos family, ultimately leading to the proposed sale of a 27% stake in the team to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores.[52]
In 2024, Streisand represented Rupert Murdoch at trial before a court in Reno, Nevada, against James Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch and Prudence MacLeod, three of Murdoch’s children, seeking to ratify changes to an irrevocable trust that would have the effect of eliminating the voting control they would have over his media empire after Rupert Murdoch’s death, and vest that control in the hands of his son and chosen successor, Lachlan Murdoch.[53]
Adam Streisand is married to writer, director and producer Sofia Streisand,[72] and they have one son, Pierre Streisand. He also has two daughters, Lena Streisand, an attorney, and Olivia Streisand, a documentary filmmaker, from a previous marriage to journalist Betsy Streisand. [73] Adam is a cousin of famous singer and actress, Barbra Streisand.[74] He is an avid cyclist and adventurist. He has camped near the North Pole, trekked 19,000 feet (5,800 m) in the Himalayas, and crossed the Pyrenees from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean on his bicycle.[75]
Streisand has appeared as himself in Framing Britney Spears, The New York Times Presents, in the Netflix documentary, Britney vs Spears, and in guest appearances on Cuomo Prime Time, CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown, America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino, and Your World with Neil Cavuto.[76] Streisand is featured in the December 2022 Discovery+ docuseries Jamie Vs Britney: The Father Daughter Trials.
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