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Joel Katz, Powerhouse Music Industry Attorney, Dies at 80

Joel Katz, a powerhouse music industry attorney for decades, died at the age of 80.

Powerhouse attorney Joel Katz, who at one point seemingly represented most of the top executives in the music industry, died today (April 18), peacefully at home, with his wife Rikki by his side. As the founding chairman of the global entertainment and media practice at Greenberg Traurig, Katz was a major kingmaker, not just serving as an attorney, but often placing executives in high-level positions while he looked at the music industry like a giant chessboard. He also represented artists and industry organizations, including the Recording Academy and Country Music Association, among others, often negotiating landmark television deals that set the standard for future pacts.

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