Jake Bloom and Alan Hergott to Retire as Johnny Depp Trial Nears
By Gene Maddaus
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Attorneys Jake Bloom and Alan Hergott have announced they are retiring from their namesake law firm, while still embroiled in litigation with former client Johnny Depp.
Bloom has represented stars like Nicolas Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham, among many others in a long career in Hollywood. Hergott represented Brad Pitt, Kathleen Kennedy, Russell Crowe.
Their firm — with the unwieldy name of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman — has been renamed Goodman Schenkman & Brecheen. Many of the firm’s former clients will stay with GSB.
“We thank Jake and Alan for their many years of leadership, excellence and friendship, and we’re happy to build on their foundation,” partner Carlos Goodman said in a statement. “This generational shift positions us to capture growth opportunities and lead GSB’s practice into the future.”
Bloom did not issue a comment, but Hergott said it was time for an “evolution.”
“It has been a true privilege to represent some of the most talented people in entertainment and media over so many years,” he said. “While I will miss my clients and colleagues, now is the right time for this evolution. It is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved and I look forward to watching GSB optimize the new media landscape for its clients and continue to grow in the future.”
The pair typically did their work without a lot of fanfare or press attention, but in the last year and a half they have been in a very public dispute with Depp. Depp has accused the firm of mishandling various matters, including his divorce from actress Amber Heard, and alleges that the firm improperly took millions of dollars in fees.
Depp was involved in a similar dispute with The Management Group, his former management company. But while that case ended in a settlement, the battle with Bloom’s firm has dragged on. In August 2018, an L.A. Superior Court judge handed Depp a significant victory , refusing to dismiss the case and chastising the firm for relying on an unwritten agreement with the star.
“Today, Bloom Hergott fulfilled their lawyers’ previous threat to evade their liability to Johnny Depp by shutting down the firm and reconstituting it. We will see whatever firm they want to bring to the court soon,” Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman said.
The case is currently set to go to trial in September, but the firm recently asked to postpone it until March 2020.
In its statement, the firm said that many attorneys will stay on, including John Diemer, David Feldman, Stuart Rosenthal, John LaViolette, Patrick Knapp, Eric Brooks, Richard Thompson and Stephen Breimer. Ashley Silver and Will Jacobson were also named partners.
“The partners of GSB will maintain their well-established entertainment practices, and continue to expand into high-growth digital, streaming and influencer markets,” the firm said.
