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John Berlinski, currently a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, has an extensive history as a provider of legal services over the past several years. In fact, before his current position, he worked as an attorney for a couple of different practices, all of which prepared him for his present role. His education began with a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, after which he attended the University of Michigan Law School.

After graduating, John began his professional career as a lawyer by working as a litigation attorney for the law offices of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, a global law firm with offices throughout the world. This allowed him to establish a network of contacts within the judiciary system, in addition to ample experience, tackling all sorts of cases as part of a legal team.

Years after building up a reputation in his initial position, John Berlinski was offered the opportunity to take on the role of Senior Vice President & Head of West Coast Television Litigation for NBCUniversal. In his capacity as SVP, he was assigned the responsibility of handling all litigation and pre-litigation disputes involving NBCUniversal’s West Coast division.

During his time with NBCUniversal, he was able to further develop skills that would enable him to become an expert in his field. Being SVP placed him in a position where he actively tackled various issues under the umbrella of entertainment law. This included cases involving intellectual property rights, such as those related to copyright law, trademarks, and idea theft, claims involving media portrayals, such as those related to reporters’ shield law, media access, defamation, rights to privacy, and rights to publicity, and other internal situations, such as those involving talent relations, entertainment contracts, employment, and general commercial disputes.

However, serving as SVP was not his only role. In his position as Head of West Coast Television Litigation, John was tasked with leading NBCUniversal’s profit participation group. This meant that it was his responsibility to manage a team of lawyers working to devise strategies for negotiation profit participation contracts. They also oversaw audits and audit claims, as well as accounting statements.

Finally, his professional career led him to become a partner at the law offices of Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP. As a partner, his role is to serve as the head of the office and as the chair of entertainment law, allowing him to apply all that he has learned regarding that judicial branch. Handling high profile cases involving powerful clients with equally powerful opposition can be an intimidating venture, but John’s unique background has ensured that he is more than prepared for the task. His previous experience has since been applied to representing all sorts of television and theater clients and handling cases involving intellectual property in music, resolving disputes involving theme park owners, working with agencies, and most of all, resolving claims related to licensing disputes and profit participation. This has not gone without notice. John’s skill in litigation has been recognized by all sorts of influential sources. Variety included him as a leading attorney of entertainment law in their “Legal Impact Report,” The National Law Journal gave him the title of Entertainment Trailblazer, and The Hollywood Reporter listed him on their “Powerful Lawyers 2020: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys” list. Since working with Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, John has truly made a name for himself as a litigator to watch.

CBS has been providing TV entertainment since 1927. This platform continues to provide content that fans love, from reality TV and fast-paced dramas to out-of-this-world science fiction. CBS relies on its writers and producers to provide content that fans will love. One producer that the network has relied on for almost two decades is Craig Sweeny, an American screenwriter and television producer. The bulk of his career has been dedicated to CBS studios. He started as a staff writer and has become an executive producer for many of the network’s high-ranking productions.

His Career

Craig Sweeny started his career as a staff writer for the television drama “The 4400.” This science fiction television series ran for four seasons from July 12, 2004, to September 16, 2007. This show followed a group of 4,400 individuals who appear in the Cascade Range foothills in a ball of light. These individuals had previously disappeared in a beam of light dating back to 1946. Regardless of disappearance time, none of them age. They also can’t remember what happened to them. It is soon discovered they possess different paranormal abilities, making them a focus of government attention.

Following his time on “The 4400,” he moved to another hit TV show. Craig Sweeny worked on the show “Medium” as an executive producer for six years. During the last three years on the show, he worked as a co-head writer. “Medium” is a supernatural drama television series. It aired on NBC for five seasons from January 2005 to June 2009. This show focused on the character Allison DuBois, a medium working for a law firm. She uses her abilities to help solve crimes.

Craig Sweeny also worked as an executive producer for the drama “Common Law.” This show ran for one season and was a comedy-drama featuring two dysfunctional detective partners ordered to take couple’s therapy. Sweeny moved from this project to “Elementary.” This show focused on the early casework of the famous Sherlock Holmes, and the first episode aired in 2010. It has long been praised for its creativity and quality storytelling. Sweeny spent over five years working on this British mystery-crime drama.

Sweeny is best known for his work on “Limitless.” Craig Sweeny took part in both the creation and production of this show. “Limitless” aired in 2015 as a TV adaptation of a popular movie by the same name starring Bradley Cooper. The TV series focused on the character Brian Finch. Finch discovers a drug that can increase his brainpower to almost 100%. This led him to work with the FBI to help solve complex cases.

Sweeny enjoyed the ability to be experimental with the show, pushing boundaries and adding to the procedural elements and expanding upon them. Though this show only lasted for one season, it is still enjoyed today on platforms such as Paramount Plus.

Sweeny also created and produced the show “The Code.” This was a military legal drama that premiered in 2019, but it was dropped after its first season. Sweeny has also worked as a consulting producer for the hit sci-fi show “Star Trek: Discovery.” The star trek universe is rich in exploring different people, places, and technology. This series has a devout following, and fans continued to be impressed by the latest installment. “Star Trek: Discovery” premiered in 2017 and is still going strong. It is the seventh series but begins a decade before the timeline of the original series.

Craig Sweeny has recently signed a new three-year deal with CBS Studios. He continues to prove himself as a vital creator and executive producer. He is on track to continue to develop new projects as well as work on existing series. He is currently developing a high-profile science fiction series for Paramount Plus as well as a crime series called “Know-It-All.” As a well-established producer for CBS, fans can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.

Work as a Mentor

Craig Sweeny loves to support other writers make their way into Hollywood. Since 2018, Sweeny has served as a volunteer mentor for the Veterans Writing Project through the Writers Guild Foundation. This project aims to identify individuals with a military background who have a passion for writing. This project provides tools and insight from professionals to help writers expand their skills and navigate the entertainment industry. Over a year, mentors will guide participants in developing a feature or pilot script. Mentors provide feedback, advice, and experienced guidance.

Family and Fun

Craig Sweeny dedicates much of his life to being a dad. As a ballet dad, he is always busy getting his daughters to rehearsals and performances. In his free time, he enjoys reviewing heavy metal music for angrymetalguy.com under a pseudonym. He also trains in martial arts and currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Official Website: https://www.craigsweeny.com

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1153843/

Over the past several decades, businessman Woody Johnson has built a highly successful career. Not only has he seen immense success in the world of business, but as his career matured, he has extended his attentions to both philanthropy and diplomacy. Johnson has accomplished much over the course of his lengthy career and gives much of the credit to his life experiences and the support of his family.

Early Life and Education

From birth, Woody Johnson had strong ties to the world of business due to the family he hails from. Woody Johnson is the great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, co-founder of the now-multinational corporation Johnson & Johnson. This has led many to deem Johnson the heir to Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer goods fortune.

Johnson was born on April 12, 1947 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His parents were prominent philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson and Robert Wood Johnson III, former president of Johnson & Johnson.

While growing up alongside his four siblings in northern New Jersey, Johnson had the opportunity to attend the esteemed Millbrook school, a preparatory academy located in Dutchess County, New York. Later, he would go on to attend the University of Arizona, where he earned his degree. Throughout his teen and young adult years, Johnson spent his summers working at Johnson & Johnson.

NFL Ownership

After graduating from college, Woody Johnson swiftly went on to build a successful and well-rounded career.

Perhaps most notably, Johnson is widely known as the benefactor who purchased the New York Jets in 2000. Johnson purchased the Jets for $635 million, and the team would later go on to be appraised for $3.2 billion as of 2019. Johnson served as the acting owner and CEO of the Jets until 2017, when a career in international politics beckoned.

Currently, Woody Johnson co-owns the Jets with his brother Christopher Johnson. Although he eventually passed the CEO role onto his brother Christopher, Johnson is still involved with the team. According to Christopher, Jets insiders expect Woody Johnson to soon return to his role as CEO of the team. Once this occurs, Christopher will become the football team’s vice-president.

Political Career

Although Johnson had been involved in political fundraising for a number of years, it wasn’t until 2017 that he took on an international diplomatic position. Impressively, before Johnson took on this role, he had no diplomatic experience under his belt. Nevertheless, despite a lack of first-hand experience, Johnson has always had a strong passion for supporting US-UK ties, which he believes to be important to ensuring the long-term well-being of the United States. Johnson also has a strong interest in military history, and it is his understanding of the post-war partnership formed between the United States and the United Kingdom that reinforced his diplomatic beliefs.

His passion and interests placed Johnson at the forefront of those considered for a diplomatic role that would serve both the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2017, former President Donald Trump selected Johnson for the role of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He served admirably in this role for four years, until his departure in January 2021 with the election of a new administration.

Philanthropic Efforts

Truly, it is not surprising that Johnson has invested so much of his own personal time and funds into philanthropic causes. Woody Johnson’s mother was Betty Wold Johnson, a renowned philanthropist who had a charitable career spanning many decades. In fact, Betty’s philanthropic work continued up until her death in 2020, at the age of 99. Certainly, Johnson has made an effort to follow in his mother’s footsteps. However, while Betty Wold Johnson focused her philanthropic efforts on the arts, a large portion of Woody Johnson’s charitable donations have funded critical medical research.

Notably, Woody Johnson raised money and lobbied in an effort to increase federal funding for diabetes and lupus research. In his efforts to support diabetes research, Woody Johnson served as the chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Currently, Woody Johnson is serving as the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR)’s founding chairman. He founded the organization in 1999, after his daughter was diagnosed with Lupus. Since then, Johnson has worked to fund further research regarding the disease.

Johnson works prominently with the Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Charitable Trust and serves as a trustee. In fact, among current members of the Johnson family, he is the sole individual to be invited to serve on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation board.

The Personal Life and Family of Woody Johnson

Woody Johnson has always been highly invested in his family life and is considered a true family man. 

Johnson first married in 1977 to Nancy Johnson, a former fashion model. The couple went on to have three children. However, they would eventually divorce in 2001, and Johnson did not remarry until a number of years later. In 2009, Woody Johnson married Suzanne Johnson, who is his current wife. Suzanne currently serves as the equities managing director at Sandler, O’Neill & Partners. With Suzanne, Woody Johnson has had two more children and now resides in Palm Beach, Florida.

If you’re seeking one of the strongest trial lawyers in the United States, it won’t be long before you come across the name Marc Kasowitz. However, aside from legal professionals, many may not know him. Who is this attorney with such a lengthy and hard-hitting career? Today, we’d like to give you a brief overview of the life and career of Marc Kasowitz, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres in New York City.

Upbringing and Education

Marc Elliot Kasowitz was born on June 28, 1952, to Robert and Felice Kasowitz. He has always had a close-knit family, including his fraternal twin brother, Stephan, as well as Susan, Marc’s younger sister.

His father saw success running a scrap metal business. Marc’s grandparents put this business into motion after they immigrated to the United States from their native Poland. Eventually, Robert would inherit this business after a lifetime of learning the ins and outs of the venture. This strong work ethic, passed from generation to generation, certainly had an impact on Marc Kasowitz himself.

Marc Kasowitz attended New Haven’s Hopkins School, where he was fortunate to receive a high-quality education from a young age. He went to Yale University, thanks to his dedication to his coursework and his strong desire to continue focusing on his education. From Yale, he earned his bachelor’s degree in American history.

However, earning his undergraduate degree wasn’t the end of Marc’s education—far from it. With a clear vision of where he saw his career heading, he went on to earn his JD from Cornell Law School. This eventually developed into Marc’s lifelong career, beginning his journey as an esteemed legal professional.

Career and Professional Accomplishments

Since entering the field of law, Marc Kasowitz has had a strong track record as a formidable trial attorney, more than capable of winning just about any case he puts his mind to. As such, this has led him to accumulate a long list of professional accomplishments.

Early in his legal career, Marc worked at Mayer Brown law firm. This is where he stayed until 1993, when he decided to help establish Kasowitz Benson Torres. Kasowitz Benson Torres is a highly successful law firm with a team of 19 accomplished lawyers. Two of Mayer Brown’s clients also left the firm to begin their partnership with Kasowitz Benson Torres. These partnerships would, of course, prove to be fruitful. Kasowitz Benson Torres quickly established itself as a strong firm with an impressive record of wins across the many cases they’ve participated in.

According to Benchmark Litigation, Marc has become one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the United States. This is far from the only recognition he’s received over the years. For instance, the National Law Journal also honored Marc Kasowitz as a Litigation Trailblazer due to his game-changing approach to his legal work.

Much of Marc’s experience lies in the realm of complex commercial litigation, where he has proven to be an invaluable adversary for every party he represents. His cases have fallen under a wide variety of categories, including banking, antitrust, corporate governance, and breach of contract. Marc has shown himself to be a versatile trial attorney, rather than one who restricts himself to cases in just one narrow area. Instead, he has dedicated his career to developing the broadest possible legal knowledge he can achieve—and he’s continuing to learn and grow to this day.

Marc Kasowitz has also directed a wide array of internal investigations on behalf of management, special committees, and boards of directors throughout his career. He has performed these investigations during instances of alleged conflicts of interest, corporate misfeasance, insider trading, challenges to board authority, market timing, accounting fraud, market manipulation, and even obstruction of justice.

So, what are some of Marc’s most impressive accomplishments as a trial attorney? There are more than a few of them, without a doubt.

One famous case that Marc has become known for involves Woodstock 50, a festival intended to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original 1969 event. The legal battle was fought against a former financing partner of the large-scale event, Dentsu. Dentsu is a marketing and advertising company from Japan, which attempted to abruptly withdraw its financing of Woodstock 50. However, thanks to the strong evidence and points made by Marc, the New York Supreme Court ruled that Dentsu lacked the right to unilaterally cancel the festival, based upon the contract it had previously signed.

Another example of Marc’s courtroom prowess can be seen when he represented MBIA against Credit Suisse. In this case, MBIA was determined to recover for breaches of warranties and representations, all related to RMBS and insured by MBIA. Marc participated in a two-week-long bench trial after the case found itself in the New York Supreme Court. In the end, Marc proved that Credit Suisse breached representations and warranties. Consequently, Credit Suisse was found liable for more than $600 million worth of damages.

Finally, the third instance of Marc’s legal success occurred when he represented ACA Financial Guaranty in court. ACA Financial Guaranty is a large bond insurer, positioning itself against Goldman Sachs and Paulson & Co., a well-known hedge fund. This $120 million fraud suit occurred after Goldman Sachs and Paulson & Co. fraudulently induced ACA Financial Guaranty to provide a financial guaranty for Goldman Sachs’ own ABACUS CDO. This occurred when ACA was deceived about Paulson & Co.’s financial interest and role in this transaction.

Thanks to Marc’s argument (which he presented to the New York Court of Appeals) a fresh precedent was set on the standards for reliance in instances of fraud in New York state.

Marc Kasowitz has had a long and impressive career as one of the leading trial lawyers in the country. But, of course, several decades into his career, Marc has yet to slow down—he continues to thrive as a tough-as-nails legal professional, giving the parties he represents the most robust possible legal defense. So, who’s to say what he’ll accomplish next? It’ll be something big, that’s for sure.

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marckasowitz