Born: Malden, Massachusetts, April 1, 1943
Education:
JD, School of Law, University of California Berkeley (1969)
BA, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA (1966)
Coursework, University of California Berkeley
Bar Admissions:
The State Bar of California (1970); United States District Court for the Central District of California (1970); United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1970); American Samoa Bar Association
Career:
Co-Founder, Name Partner, Holmes Weinberg PC, Malibu, CA (2008-Present)
Sports and Entertainment Lawyer, Greenberg Traurig LLC, Santa Monica, CA (2002-2008)
Sports and Entertainment Lawyer, Weissman, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman, Silverman & Holmes, Beverly Hills, CA (1994-2002)
Counsel, Cooper, Epstein & Hurewitz, Beverly Hills, CA (1984-1994)
Partner, Butler, Davidson & Holmes, Beverly Hills, CA (1979-1984)
Principal, Schiff, Hirsch & Schreiber, Beverly Hills, CA (1978-1979)
Lawyer, Pacht, Ross, Warne, Bernhard & Sears, Los Angeles, CA (1972-1978)
General Counsel, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America
Career Related:
Fellow, Ford Foundation, New Delhi, India, University of Southern California Gould School of Law (1969-1970); Speaker in Field; Lecturer in Sports Law and Entertainment, University of California Los Angeles; Adjunct Professor of Sports Law, Pepperdine University School of Law; Speaker and Lecturer on Sports and Entertainment Law; Representation of Talent and Athletes
Civic:
Member, Board of Directors, Ranola Oil (2018-Present); Trustee, United States Women’s Sports Foundation, New York, NY (1984-1997); Member, Board of Directors, California Wildlife Center; Member, Board of Advisers, Optimist Youth Programs; Member, California Police Activities League; Volunteer Member, Marine Mammals Rescue Team
Creative Works:
Author, “Motion Picture Copyright, State Bar of Wisconsin Journal”; Author, “The Indian President: Myth or Reality”; Author, “The 1969 Indian Law Journal”; Author, “The Rules of Civil Procedure for the High Court of American Samoa”; Contributor, Articles in Various Professional Journals; Editor, Autobiographies of Billie Jean King, George Foreman and Hulk Hogan
Achievements:
Being selected as a feature article and cover of “Southern California Super Lawyers” issue of Los Angeles Magazine; Negotiating and structuring George Foreman’s multi-million dollar deal for “The George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine,” the most successful direct sales kitchen product endorsement arrangement in history; Negotiating George Foreman’s landmark deal with HBO as broadcasting and corporate spokesperson; Being certified by the National Basketball Association as a players’ agent and being complimented on his representation of athletes by serving as consultant to various broadcast sports and entertainment entities, including DirecTV and Magic Johnson Promotions; Successfully representing notable athletes and celebrities such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratalova, World Team Tennis, World Champion boxers George Foreman, James Toney, Lennox Lewis, Shane Mosley, Frankie Lyles, and Oscar De La Hoya, MMA world champion Frank Shamrock, Wrestling champion Bill Goldberg, famed Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and authors Harlan Ellision, Issac Asimov, Dan O’Bannon (“Alien”) and Don Jakoby (“Blue Thunder” and “Arachnophobia”); Litigating famous cases, including Harlan Ellision in his groundbreaking lawsuit against Paramount and ABC for copyright infringement and defended Ellision in the First Amendment libel action brought against him by writer Michael Fleisher; Litigating George Foreman’s suit against The World Boxing Association for the right to fight for the heavyweight championship; Litigating Billie Jean King and Larry W. King in the palimony suit brought by Marilyn Barnett; Leveraged Hulk Hogan’s wrestling success into a lucrative reality series for VH1, “Hogan Knows Best”; Sealing an unprecedented 20-year deal with World Wrestling Entertainment for the use of the “Hulk Hogan” name and likeness; Representing filmmakers and actors, including Guillermo del Toro, Robert Evans, Jonas Cuaron, Emanuel Lubezki, Carlos Cuaron, Jon Peters, Tanya Seghatchian, Norris Brothers Productions, Esai Morales, Andy Garcia, David Weissman, Len Schrader, Michael Rodriquez, Pamela Anderson, Mark Burnett Productions; Representing in television, Chuck Norris and Top Kick Productions on “Walker, Texas Ranger”; Representing George Foreman on “By George” and “Better Late Than Never”; Representing Mark Burnett Productions on “The Contender” and “Survivor”; Representing Hulk Hogan on several series, including “Hogan Knows Best”; Representing Academy Award-winning director, Alfonso Cuarón on such films as “Children of Men,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Gravity,” and “Roma”; Having a comic book character, “Destroyer Duck,” published by Eclipse Comics and created by Steve Gerber, designed after him
Awards:
Honoree, International Who’s Who of Entertainment and Sports Lawyers (2015); Honoree, Super Lawyer (2005-2009, 2013); Honoree, Southern California Super Lawyers (2005); Honoree, Top 20 Sports Lawyers, Daily Journal (1993); Recipient, Ford Foundation Berkeley Professional Studies Fellowship, Indian Law Institute, New Delhi, India (1969); Recipient, Preemminent A/V Rating, Martindale-Hubbell; Honoree,, American Registry Professional; Named, International Advisory Expert; Honoree, Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in California, Who’s Who in American Business
Memberships:
Member, Screen Actors Guild (Now SAG-AFTRA); Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association; Member, Los Angeles Bar Association; Member, Explorers Club; Member, Malibu Film Society
Political Affiliation:
Democrat
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Family:
Son of Henry W. Holmes and Sue Cerullo Holmes
Married: Lori Ann Holmes
Children: Benjamin Holmes
Hobbies:
Surfing; Acting; Art appreciation; Scuba diving
Biographical Sources:
Who’s Who In Finance and Industry – 2000-2001, 31st Edition (pub. 1999)
Who’s Who in America – 2012, 66th Edition (pub. 2011)
Who’s Who in America – 2008, 62nd Edition (pub. 2007)
Who’s Who in America – 2007, 61st Edition (pub. 2006)
Who’s Who in America – 2002, 56th Edition (pub. 2001)
Who’s Who in America – 1997, 51st Edition (pub. 1996)
Who’s Who in American Law, 18th Edition, (pub. 2014)
Who’s Who in American Law, 17th Edition, (pub. 2011)
Who’s Who in American Law – 2009-2010, 16th Edition (pub. 2009)
Who’s Who in American Law – 2007-2008, 15th Edition (pub. 2007)
Who’s Who in American Law – 2005-2006, 14th Edition (pub. 2005)
Who’s Who in American Law – 2003-2004, 13th Edition (pub. 2003)
Who’s Who in American Law – 2000-2001, 11th Edition (pub. 1999)
Who’s Who in American Law – 1998-1999, 10th Edition (pub. 1998)
Who’s Who in American Law – 1996-1997, 9th Edition (pub. 1996)
Who’s Who in the West – 2000-2001, 27th Edition (pub. 1999)
Who’s Who in the World – 2007, 24th Edition (pub. 2006)