Bert Fields Real Cause of Death Revealed: Hollywood Lawyer Dead at 93

By Angel Goodman

29th American Cinematheque Award Honoring Reese Witherspoon - Arrivals — (Photo : Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Attorney Bert Fields attends the 29th American Cinematheque Award honoring Reese Witherspoon at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on October 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Notorious for representing superstars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and The Beatles in court, the Hollywood entertainment lawyer has reportedly died in his Malibu home at age 93.

One of his clients, Tom Cruise, holds Fields in high regard and described him as a gentleman and extraordinary human being with "a powerful intellect, a keen wit, and charm that made one enjoy every minute of his company."

According to Deadline, the infamous entertainment lawyer continued to work until quite recently, but his health had been declining ever since contracting COVID in 2020.

Fields' law firm, Greenberg Cluster, confirmed that the late-lawyer "had been suffering from long-term neurological effects of COVID-19" and died in his Malibu home with wife Barbara Guggenheim.

"Bert was a beloved colleague, friend, and mentor who trained a generation of outstanding lawyers." said Bob Baradaran, the Managing Partner of Greenberg Glusker where Fields worked for 40 years.

Field's Court-winning Strategy Revealed

While most of his clients and peers describe him as a true gentleman, Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says he also had "the determination and grit of a street fighter."

In Harvard Law's A Conversation with Bertram Fields '52, the attorney recounts one of his favorite cases when he represented the Beatles' Apple Corps and were able to sue concert rip-offs like "Beatlemania"

"I won. I was a huge fan and that case was great fun. I have had a lot of them like that." Bert said.

The late-attorney once revealed his legal strategy when interviewed for The New Yorker in 2006. "If I were a general, I would attack and keep pressing the attack - to throw the opponent off balance, to change the odds and make a settlement your way much more favorable," he described. "It forces the other side to think: Hey, I may lose this case. Let's settle it."

Gone, but Not Without Leaving Enemies

Fields played a role in several controversial Hollywood legal disputes throughout his years, so it comes as no surprise that he made a number of enemies in and out of court.

In the 1990s, he represented Jeffrey Katzenberg, the chief executive of DreamWorks Animation, against Walt Disney chief Michael Eisner for denying contractual bonuses of 250 million dollars.

According to Variety, Attorney Fields conducted a "withering cross-examination" of Eisner, which angered Disney chief so much that he rose from the witness chair and warned Mr. Fields that he was pushing him too hard.

"I hate the little midget," Mr. Eisner had said, according to Mr. Fields's courtroom questioning.

Fields eventually settled the lawsuit for a full 250 million dollars, which was "more than triple the amount ever given to an individual in a Hollywood lawsuit", Variety said.

Other controversial clients that the late Bert Fields represented were Michael Jackson against child molestation allegations and Tom Cruise during his divorce with Katie Holmes.