Marshall B. Grossman Dies: L.A. Power Lawyer Who Repped Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Netflix & Many Others Was 84

Marshall B. Grossman, a combative but well-respected Los Angeles power lawyer who repped the likes of Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, J.K. Rowling and Netflix during his career and litigated the first successful consumer class action in California, has died. He was 84.

The Daily Journal reported his death but did not give details.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

Jake Bloom Dies: Hollywood Attorney Was 81

During his 55-year career, Grossman represented clients including Mariah Carey, Tommy Hilfiger, Dr. Dre, Larry King, Grupo Televisa, Apple Computer, Cirque du Soleil and Blockbuster in myriad legal matters. He also repped Billy Bush in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape in 2016 and TV personality Erin Andrews in her multimillion-dollar suit after she was photographed nude through a hotel room peephole and the images were posted online. Andrews, then working for ESPN, won a $55 million judgment.

Born on March 24, 1939, in Omaha, NE, Grossman moved to L.A. as a child when his dad was named director of the Hollywood USO. He graduated from USC Law School in 1964, and one of his earliest cases was against the Playboy Club, which became California’s first successful consumer class action.

He went on to work at a number of L.A.-area law firms and in 1973 was among the co-founders of The Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Among his showbiz-related career highlights are repping Netflix in a patent-infringement suit and then-giant home video retailer Blockbuster in a class action.

In 1995, he joined Alschuler Grossman and quickly rose to managing partner. That firm had an ill-fated merger with Stein & Kahan in 1999 that lasted until 2007. Grossman later joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and retired from that firm as a partner.

Grossman won a judgment for the Agudas Chasidei Chabad against the Russian Federation to recover religious texts that were seized during the Bolshevik Revolution and World War II and testified at a House subcommittee hearing titled, “Exploring Resolutions to Disputes Concerning Indian Tribes, State and Local Governments, and Private Landowners over Land Use and Development.”

He served on the board of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and as President of the BHBA Barristers. His many career accolades multiple years on multiple “top lawyers” lists, ranking on Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2017 list of the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles and 2010 Litigator of the Year from the Century City Bar Association.

He was listed for more than a quarter-century as a leading lawyer in Bet-the-Company Litigation in The Best Lawyers in America, been top ranked by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, and made the Daily Journal list of the 100 most influential lawyers in California.

Grossman is survived by his wife, Marlene; a daughter and son; and several grandchildren.