Dixon Dern, Hollywood lawyer tied to Desilu and CAA, dies at 97
The Stanford-trained attorney represented Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope and others across more than seven decades in entertainment law.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Dixon Q. Dern, a veteran Hollywood attorney whose client list ran from Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to Bob Hope and the Jackson Five, died July 19 at 97, Variety reported.
Dern spent more than seven decades in entertainment law, working through the rise of television as a dominant business and helping shape deals around the industry’s changing economics, according to Variety.
A lawyer at the center of early TV power
Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Dern studied at Stanford University, where he earned both his undergraduate degree and his law degree, Variety reported.
He arrived in Los Angeles in the 1950s, as television was turning into a major force in American entertainment. Among the major clients he represented during that era were Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, according to Variety.
Dern also represented UPA Productions, the company behind “Mr. Magoo,” early in his career, Variety reported. His roster later included Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, the Jackson Five and the Television Academy.
At Desilu Productions, Dern served as head of the legal department and helped organize the company’s business affairs during the period when television syndication was becoming an important financial model, according to Variety.
Building an entertainment law practice
Dern was a founding partner of Dern, Mason, Swerdlow & Floum, where he helped develop the firm’s entertainment law practice, Variety reported.
Variety also reported that Dern played a role in the founding of Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent agency that became one of the industry’s most prominent dealmaking forces.
Across his career, Dern became known as one of Hollywood’s leading attorneys and worked on business arrangements Variety described as innovative for the entertainment field.
His work extended beyond client representation. Beginning in 1967, Dern served as an arbitrator and mediator in entertainment and labor disputes, according to Variety.
Bar leadership and industry honors
Dern held several leadership posts in California’s legal community. Variety reported that he served as vice president and a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California.
He was also president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, a trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and president of the Los Angeles Copyright Society, according to Variety.
In 2009, the Television Academy honored Dern with its Syd Cassyd Founders Award. The award recognizes Academy members who have made a significant impact on the organization, Variety reported.
Dern is survived by his children, Chelsea Dern, Warren Dern, Peter Dern, Rosalin Bellante and Greg Dern, as well as five grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.