Elder statesman of entertainment lawyers reflects on decades Hollywood dealmaking as UCLA Entertainment Symposium marks 50 years
Plus IconCynthia Littleton
Business Editor
@Variety_Cynthia See All
Penske Media via Getty Images Ken Ziffren has logged more than 50 years in Los Angeles’ legal community. He’s represented a wide range of players from the late great showrunner entrepreneur Stephen J. Cannell to the Television Academy to the Directors Guild of America. He’s been on every industry commission imaginable, including a stint as L.A.’s film czar under former Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Ziffren, a 1965 graduate of UCLA Law School, has a long and proud track record as a mentor, consiglieri and key industry strategist on thorny issues. One of his strongest legacies is UCLA Law’s annual Entertainment Symposium, which Ziffren launched back in 1976 as a forum to expose students to the real-world challenges and opportunities for lawyers in Hollywood. The event is now produced by UCLA Law’s Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, which was established about a dozen years ago. What began as a modest gathering in a UCLA Law School conference room has grown into a daylong event with an array of top speakers and about 600 attendees. The golden anniversary edition will unfold Thursday at UCLA’s Schoenberg Auditorium, with speakers including Imagine Entertainment’s Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Tom Wolzien, Donald S. Passman, Linda Lichter and many more.
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