Veteran music industry lawyer Joel Katz will be honoured with City of Hope’s 2016 Spirit of Life Award for his services to the music, film and entertainment industries.
The award is handed out by the City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group.
Previous recipients include Universal Music Group boss Lucian Grainge.
City of Hope is a world-renowned, California-based biomedical research, education and treatment centre for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
The entertainment industry has been a longtime supporter of City of Hope and has partnered on many innovative fundraising campaigns.
The Spirit of Life Award will be presented to Katz at a gala in Los Angeles on November 10.
It follows a year-long fundraising campaign that supports City of Hope’s ability to speed new therapies and scientific breakthroughs.
“City of Hope is proud to honour Joel this year in recognition of his support of our mission,” said Robert Stone, President and Chief Executive Officer of City of Hope.
“We deeply appreciate Joel’s unwavering commitment to our Spirit of Life campaign which propels our innovative research and treatments that outsmart deadly diseases — one patient at a time.”
robert stone, city of hope
“We deeply appreciate Joel’s unwavering commitment to our Spirit of Life campaign which propels our innovative research and treatments that outsmart deadly diseases — one patient at a time.”
Said Katz: “It is my honour to receive The Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope.
“I congratulate city of hope in launching this outstanding fundraising campaign which supports the physicians and scientists who are dedicated to developing innovative, disease-fighting strategies in the battle against cancer.”
joel katz, Greenberg Traurig llp
“I congratulate this organisation in launching this outstanding fundraising campaign which supports the physicians and scientists who are dedicated to developing innovative, disease-fighting strategies in the battle against cancer.”
During his 45 year career, and as Chair and Founding Partner of Greenberg Traurig LLP, Katz has legally represented artists such as James Brown, B.B. King, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, who remains a client to this day.
He was also a key figure in the deal which saw the Michael Jackson Estate’s 50% ownership of Sony/ATV sold to Sony for $750m earlier this year.
Katz began his career in 1971 leading his own law practice, Katz, Smith and Cohen, which became one of the nation’s largest entertainment law firms.
In 1988, he merged his practice with Greenberg Traurig and his client roster grew to include more than 50 artists.
Among those names were Kenny Chesney, Jamie Foxx, Josh Groban, Sammy Hagar, Faith Hill, the estate of Whitney Houston, Julio Iglesias, Michael Jackson/estate of Michael Jackson, Little Big Town, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Justin Timberlake and others.
Greenberg Traurig now has 68 entertainment media and sports lawyers located in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Some of its high profile corporate clients are Big Machine Label Group, BMG Rights Management GmbH, Coca Cola Company, Country Music Association, Dick Clark Productions, Scooter Braun Management (Silent Media) and Troy Carter (Atom Factory).Music Business Worldwide
