Greenberg Glusker Timeline: 50 Years of Deals and Litigation

April 1, 1959
Hill, Greenberg & Glusker founded in converted Safeway Store in Beverly Hills.

1960
Stephen Claman joins as firm’s first associate.

1961
Irving Hill leaves firm to become Superior Court judge. Firm becomes Greenberg Glusker.

1964
Firm moves to Perpetual Savings Building in Beverly Hills.

1965
Claman and Sidney Machtinger become partners.

1969
Paula Peters, the firm’s first female attorney, joins as associate, later becomes first female partner.

1969
Firm moves to current offices in Century City.

1974
Lawrence Turman v. Avco: Arthur Greenberg represents “The Graduate” producer Lawrence Turman in one of the first TV block-booking cases. (Judgment paid in 1980.)

1974
Bert Fields, Bernard Shearer and Robert Marshall join firm, which changes its name to Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger.

1991
Legal Aid Foundation, Los Angeles County Chapter, awards Greenberg Glusker its Public Council Service Award, the first time a law firm receives the honor.

1997
Greenberg Glusker partner Steven J. Lurie receives the Wiley M. Manuel Pro Bono Award from the California State Bar for his involvement with the Maple Counseling Center.

1997
Chase-Riboud v. DreamWorks: Representing DreamWorks, Greenberg Glusker defeats an injunction request that sought to prevent release of the movie “Amistad.”

1998
Francis Ford Coppola v. Warner Bros.: Greenberg Glusker wins a jury verdict for Coppola against the studio for interference with contract. $80 million verdict was largest ever against a studio at that time.

1999
Jeffrey Katzenberg v. Disney: Greenberg Glusker wins profit-participation case for Katzenberg against the studio.

2007
Greenberg Glusker partner David Cranston receives the Crystal Leaf Award for service at the Children’s Nature Institute.

2008

• Greenberg Glusker wins $13.2 million arbitration award for vidgame publisher Ubisoft against MGA Entertainment in licensing dispute over the use of Bratz doll property in videogames.
• L.A. County Bar Assn. presents Greenberg Glusker associate Rachel Wilkes with the Hon. Benjamin Aranda III Outstanding Public Service Award for the Barristers Aids Legal Services Project/HALSA for representing a transgendered person from Mexico seeking asylum as a result of physical and sexual abuse.

2008-2009
Tolkien Trust v. New Line Cinema: Greenberg Glusker represents the plaintiff in breach-of-contract suit against studio.

February 2009
The Anti-Defamation League awards founding partner Arthur Greenberg its Justice and Jurisprudence Award for his distinguished career.

April 1, 2009
Greenberg Glusker celebrates its 50th anniversary.

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