Founding partner, now Consultant Emeritus to HW, for over 40 years Henry Holmes has been one of the best known and most sought after lawyers in entertainment, copyright, media and sports.  Henry has represented top entertainment and sports professionals and world famous personalities, such as Billie Jean King, Buzz Aldrin and TV icon Chuck Norris, throughout his successful career, and is known for bringing the grill to George Foreman, in what continues to be hailed as one of the most successful merchandising deals ever for a celebrity.  Holmes has also worked with several Academy Award winning filmmakers, including Alphonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro and legendary producer Robert Evans.   Among his achievements, Holmes was recognized in the Wall Street Journal for receiving the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement and American Registry’s Top 1% of America’s most honored professionals for several years, was named Super Lawyer of the Year in 2005, and was designated a Martindale Hubbell AV-Rated Preeminent Lawyer for 35 consecutive years.  Henry is now devoting his time to producing and creative consulting and business advising on film, sports and television projects.

Notable Accomplishments and Experience

  • Selected as a feature article and cover of “Southern California Super Lawyers” issue of Los Angeles Magazine
  • Negotiated and structured George Foreman’s multi-million dollar deal for “The George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine,” the most successful direct sales kitchen product endorsement arrangement in history
  • Negotiated George Foreman’s landmark deal with HBO as broadcasting and corporate spokesperson
  • Certified by the National Basketball Association as a players’ agent and complimented his representation of athletes by serving as consultant to various broadcast sports and entertainment entities, including DirecTV and Magic Johnson Promotions
  • Speaker and lecturer on sports and entertainment law as well as representation of talent and athletes
  • Successfully represented notable athletes and celebrities such as: Billie Jean King / Martina Navratalova
  • World Team Tennis / World Champion boxers George Foreman, James Toney, Lennox Lewis, Shane Mosley, Frankie Lyles, Oscar De La Hoya
  • MMA world champion Frank Shamrock
  • Wrestling champion Bill Goldberg
  • Famed Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and
  • Authors Harlan Ellision, Issac Asimov, Dan Obannon (“Alien”) and Don Jakoby (“Blue Thunder” and “Arachnophobia”)
  • Litigated famous cases, including Harlan Ellision in his groundbreaking lawsuit against Paramount and ABC for copyright infringement and defended Ellision in the First Amendment libel action brought against him by writer Michael Fleisher
  • George Foreman’s suit against The World Boxing Association for the right to fight for the heavyweight championship; and
  • Billie Jean King and Larry W. King in the palimony suit brought Marilyn Barnett
  • Leveraged Hulk Hogan’s wrestling success into a lucrative reality series for VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.” He has also sealed an unprecedented 20-year deal with World Wrestling Entertainment for the use of the “Hulk Hogan” name and likeness

Recognition

  • Listed in Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in California, Who’s Who in American Business
  • Recognized one of the top 20 sports lawyers
  • Served as lecturer at UCLA in sports and entertainment law and an adjunct professor of sports law at Pepperdine Law School
  • Served on the Board of Trustees of the Women’s Sports Foundation for 10 years
  • Awarded a Ford Foundation Berkeley Professional Studies fellowship at the Indian Law Institute in New Delhi, India, 1969
  • Served on the Board of Advisors of the Optimist Youth Programs
  • Member of the Board of the California Wildlife Center
  • Member of California Police Activities League
  • Volunteer Member of the Marine Mammals Rescue Team
  • Member of the California and American Samoa Bar Associations and the Screen Actors Guild featured in Southern California Super Lawyer, 2005-2009, 2013 and International Who’s Who of Entertainment and Sports Lawyers 2015
  • Member of the Explorer’s Club
  • Currently on the Board of Directors of Ranola Oil

Publications

  • Motion Picture Copyright // State Bar of Wisconsin Journal
  • The Indian President: Myth or Reality
  • The 1969 Indian Law Journal
  • The Rules of Civil Procedure for the High Court of American Samoa
  • Articles in various professional journals  Edited autobiographies of Billy Jean King, George Foreman and Hulk Hogan

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