Skip Brittenham, Hollywood lawyer to the stars, dies at 83
Brittenham died Thursday, said Ziffren Brittenham LLP, the firm he founded in 1978.
'Everyone in our industry knew of Skip's legal prowess,' the firm said in a statement. 'But some may not have known of his quiet generosity, his ability to find humor and opportunity in the darkest moments, and his unwavering belief that media and the entertainment industry must serve people, not the other way around.'
The firm did not disclose the cause of death.
Brittenham was known in the entertainment industry as a powerful dealmaker. Beyond his starry client list, Brittenham helped to forge Pixar's initial deal with Disney, was behind the splitting of DreamWorks and ushered Disney's acquisition of Miramax.
'What amuses me most about Skip is he often represents everyone in the deal,' Ford, who was a client before he rose to fame with 'Star Wars,' told The Times in 2005. 'And, he does a really good job for everybody ... I've always walked away from every negotiation and thought, 'Jesus, how did he get that?''
Ken Ziffren, one of two lawyers with whom Brittenham founded the firm, told The Times in 2005 that early in their partnership, the two discovered they were wooing the same prospective client, comedian Richard Pryor.
'Skip did not back down,' Ziffren said. 'He got Pryor.'
Born Harry M. Brittenham, the eldest son of an Air Force fighter pilot, he spent much of his childhood moving from one base to another. Although he attended Air Force Academy, Brittenham got hit in the eye with a squash racket in 1963. His 20-20 vision — a requirement for pilot training — was gone.
He spent four years negotiating contracts for the Air Force before enrolling in law school at UCLA.
Outside of his professional life, Brittenham was a passionate fly-fisher with decades of experience. He competed in and won several worldwide fishing competitions and practiced the sport across six continents.
The love of nature Brittenham tended to as he pursued fly-fishing led him to serve as a longtime board member of Conservation International, a leading environmental organization that honored him with its Heroes of Conservation Award.
Brittenham was also an avid fan of science fiction, and he authored a sci-fi graphic novel titled 'Anomaly' in 2012. Speaking with The Times ahead of the book's release, Brittenham said he wanted to dabble in his creative side and tap into his childhood love for Marvel and DC Comics to show people he was more than just a negotiator.
'I don't like to just try things out,' he said. 'I like to jump all the way in and figure out how to do something unique and different.'
Although Brittenham is remembered as a tenacious lawyer, he also had a reputation as a family man, often leaving the office by 5 p.m. to be with his wife and children.
Brittenham was married to actor and screenwriter Heather Thomas, and he had three daughters: Kristina, Shauna and India. He is also survived by his brother Bud, two devoted sons-in-law Jesse Sisgold and Avi Reiter, and four grandchildren.
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