Dixon Dern, veteran Hollywood entertainment lawyer, remembered as arbitrator
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Additional details have emerged about the career and legacy of Dixon Dern, the influential Hollywood entertainment lawyer who died on 19 July aged 97, including his decades of work as an industry arbitrator and mediator and the honours he received late in life. From 1967 onwards he served as an arbitrator and mediator in entertainment and labour disputes, and in 2009 the Television Academy recognised his contribution with its Syd Cassyd Founders Award. He is survived by five children, five grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
These details add to the previously reported account of Dern's seven-decade career, during which he represented clients including Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope and the Jackson Five, and helped structure the business affairs of Desilu Productions as television syndication emerged as a major economic model. He also held a string of leadership positions within the legal profession, serving as a vice-president and board member of the State Bar of California, president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, a trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and president of the Los Angeles Copyright Society, underlining his standing as one of the entertainment industry's most prominent lawyers.
- New details confirm Dern acted as an industry arbitrator from 1967.
- He received the Television Academy's Syd Cassyd Founders Award in 2009.
- Survived by five children, five grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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Originally published by Variety as “Dixon Dern, Influential Entertainment Lawyer, Dies at 97”.