personalities who lay claim to in-game dances. “It’s a relatively new art form and there are always new issues,” she says of the video game industry. She also helped Take-Two in disputes over in-game tat- toos on athletes in NBA 2K20 and “cheat menus” in Clark Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V. Hollywood’s 2020 priority “Getting people back in June 1 of that year. The auction Gibson Dunn rep says, “After a theaters despite the coronavirus.” items fetched far less than thorough review, we concluded and reported to the board that TALENT $1.2 million, but Weinstein A Texas Lawyer, still pushed amfAR to wire this contribution was a lawful Stephen Clark Darwell Lichter Grossman $600,000 to ART by June 1, charitable donation to ART.”) UC HASTINGS COLLEGE OF THE LAW even though amfAR had not On Feb. 7, 2017, Gibson Dunn Clark’s client Rian Johnson is already working on a yet received the donations. shot off an email to Ajamie sequel to his $300 million-grossing whodunit Knives a Cannes Scam and Out, while prolific feature director Tate Taylor is Cole acquiesced, to the horror that said: “We demand that taking on his first network series, Fox’s Filthy Rich. Dern of other board members, some you immediately cease and The lawyer also moved Black Monday showrunner of whom stepped down. desist from communication Jordan Cahan’s overall deal from Sony to Universal. an Open Secret In fall of 2016, Ajamie sub- with any and all third parties “My clients have evolved with the business, which is mitted his report to the board. and individual amfAR board why I retain an optimistic view,” says Clark, who also HOW A PRO BONO INVESTIGATION INTO A SUSPECT TRANSACTION AT AMFAR Some sent it to reporters and members about any issues reps John Wick 3 writer Shay Hatten and producer Deutsch SPARKED HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S DOWNFALL By Tatiana Siegel Ram Bergman. the New York attorney general, you ‘investigated’ since March If I could eat only one food forever, it’s “Tacos.” while at least one other gave 2016, including but not limited In January 2017, Tom Ajamie of attention as Weinstein’s it to Weinstein, who already to any issues regarding Mr. CORPORATE sat in a luxury hotel suite sexual predation, it remains was working with Bloom, both Weinstein.” (An amfAR board Robert Darwell Dybala at Main & Sky in Park City the key event that led to his as her client and on a Trayvon member tells THR it declined to Sheppard Mullin GEORGETOWN LAW when Harvey Weinstein came downfall. After all, it was dur- Martin project based on her sign a similar NDA.) Increased demand for global content has boosted bounding in for an awkward ing the eight-month inquiry, book Suspicion Nation. But But the genie was out of the Darwell’s practice. He worked on seven films that face-to-face meeting. The which Ajamie’s firm did Ajamie had no knowledge of bottle. And perhaps it was screened at the Toronto festival, including Focus’ Houston-based financial fraud pro bono, that he learned of that relationship when Bloom only fitting that the subject Harriet and Amazon Studios’ Honey Boy. Disney Animation, meanwhile, has kept him busy as it preps attorney had been hired by Weinstein’s open secret. — whom he had met only of Twohey’s first story on projects for Disney+. For Gaumont, he’s inked deals the amfAR board to inves- “Everyone I interviewed Ajamie and told him to sign since,” says Weitzman. “Tom “Everyone months before, while investi- Weinstein — published 12 days I interviewed for Paul McCartney’s High in the Clouds (Netflix) tigate a suspect transaction started off by saying things an NDA. “He said, ‘David Boies was young, smart, a willing started off gating Weinstein — suggested before the jaw-dropping Oct. 5, and James Wan’s Train to Busan (New Line). involving Weinstein. Ajamie like, ‘You know he’s a sexual wants you to sign this non- student and had great energy. by saying the three meet in Sundance. 2017, sexual misconduct exposé Hollywood’s 2020 priority “Business as usual, with things like, had recently submitted his predator, right?’ as opposed disclosure. You have to keep He became a dynamic and suc- ‘You know Per Ajamie, who travels to the she wrote with Kantor — was a social conscience.” he’s a sexual eight-page confidential report, to jumping right to this issue everything you learned about cessful trial lawyer. But more predator, fest annually, Bloom said she about the amfAR transaction. TALENT the details of which Weinstein of financial transactions,” me secret,’ ” recalls Ajamie. importantly, he has integrity, right?’ ” bumped into Weinstein at the recalls Warren Dern appeared to know well. But Ajamie says. “As a lawyer who’s He refused. Soon after, he and it came as no surprise Ajamie. Kalief Browder premiere party, n Feb. 24, Weinstein Sloane Offer as the two-hour meeting done dozens of these investi- was contacted by New York to me that his amfAR inves- Ajamie’s name came up, and was convicted of SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL kicked off, the Oscar-winning gations, it was very odd.” Times writers Jodi Kantor and tigation ultimately exposed Weinstein asked for a meeting. third-degree rape and a Todd Phillips turned to Dern when setting up his O now Oscar-winning, $1 billion-grossing movie producer was focused on a dif- At Main & Sky, he faced off Megan Twohey. “I told them Harvey Weinstein.” “The clear impression she first-degree criminal sexual Joker. Client Paul Feig moved his overall from the ferent subject entirely. with Weinstein — Ajamie, what I was able to tell them,” Having won more than gave to me was she didn’t know act. Ajamie was with clients Disney-owned Fox, where he’d been since 2013, “He began screaming at me, the Hollywood outsider, was he says. The rest is history. $1 billion in awards and him,” he says. “At this point in Phoenix when the news to Universal, setting up Dark Army in the studio’s ‘You’re telling everyone I rape unimpressed with the mogul’s settlements, his practice is I’m still thinking she’s a hard- flashed across his phone. Monster Universe. Amy Poehler, Zack Snyder and women. You’re causing prob- name-dropping. (Weinstein n a cold February day booming. But Ajamie, who is core women’s rights advocate.” “I looked down, didn’t skip a J.A. Bayona, who’ll direct Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series, also are clients. lems for me. I have a very good was in Sundance with Jay-Z in Manhattan, the single and has no children, is Around the same time as beat, looked right back up and If I could eat only one food forever, it’s “Pizza.” reputation. And you’re the for the premiere of their O maitre d’ at Fleming passionate about donating his that Main & Sky meeting, continued the meeting,” he source of all these rumors,’ ” TV series Time: The Kalief greets Ajamie by name. The time in the nonprofit sector, as Cole began agitating for a new says. “I expected a guilty ver- TALENT Ajamie recalls. “Harvey was Browder Story, and days earlier, 59-year-old lawyer splits his he has done with the Sundance investigation into the transac- dict against Harvey Weinstein. Ken Deutsch manic. One minute he’d be it was reported that Malia time between Houston and Institute for some 15 years and tion and hired Gibson Dunn Clearly what Harvey was Latham & Watkins & Crutcher. Unlike Ajamie’s HARVARD LAW SCHOOL yelling, and then he would Obama would intern for him.) New York. Days earlier, he with amfAR since March 2016. accused of was exactly what I When MGM decided to push No Time to Die’s calm down. He was all over Attorney Lisa Bloom, who won a $79 million class-action As he dug into Weinstein’s firm, which did $2 million had been hearing during the release because of the coronavirus pandemic, it the place. Yelling, screaming, arranged the meeting, was the settlement against Wells Fargo activities, he discovered that worth of work basically for free course of my investigation.” turned to Deutsch. The consigliere also assisted cajoling, begging, trying to only other person present. on behalf of former financial at the 2015 amfAR benefit (it collected about $40,000 to Still, the question looms: If New Republic Pictures in striking co-financing explain, often talking in cir- Near the end of the meet- advisers who said they were in Cannes, Weinstein struck cover expenses), Gibson Dunn Weinstein hadn’t been greedy deals with Amblin for the Oscar-nominated 1917 and with Paramount for Elton John biopic Rocketman. cles, confused, not confused, ing, Weinstein leaned close to forced to forfeit deferred a deal with then-chairman was charging. After a $1 mil- and didn’t push to be reim- Client A24 will produce a slate of films for Apple justifying his actions — ‘I compensation when they left Kenneth Cole in which lion investigation (the bill was bursed the $600,000 from and licensed its film library to Netflix, and Deutsch slept with dozens and dozens the company. Though he rarely Weinstein would auction later reduced to $450,000), ART, would he be a free man? advises ICM Partners, which obtained a $150 million of women, and you know they intersects with Hollywood, off two items on the condi- the firm found the transaction “I don’t know,” Ajamie says equity investment from Crestview Partners. all won Academy Awards.’ ” Ajamie says power lawyer tion that the money be split, was acceptable. after some thought. “For the We’ve hit peak content when “My kids get bored of their phones.” Fast-forward three years, Howard Weitzman served as a with $600,000 going to the “It is blatantly wrong,” first time that I’m aware of, and Weinstein is now a mentor. They first met in the American Repertory Theater. Ajamie says. “They looked someone stood up and chal- CORPORATE convicted rapist and has Tom Ajamie early ’90s in a case against Separately, ART promised at the issue very narrowly. lenged him aggressively, me conducted Kelly Dybala been bouncing around New an eight- Time Warner. Ajamie was a to reimburse Weinstein for There’s no way that money and my legal team. We raised Sidley Austin York correctional facilities month young litigator who wanted to staging the producer’s for- raised in a fundraiser for AIDS a lot of issues — suspicious, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW inquiry into Dallas-based Dybala specializes in working with amid health issues. Although a Harvey learn the art of trying a case. profit play Finding Neverland so research is ethical or legal to sleazy, unethical behavior — Weinstein- cast through several entities private equity firms and their portfolio companies, Ajamie’s amfAR investigation amfAR “We were co-counsel long as third parties donated and wrote it up. Everyone else with a focus on financing transactions and debt never received the same level transaction. and have been friends ever $600,000 to the theater by and give it back to Harvey.” (A kind of swept it under the rug.” WEINSTEIN: JANE ROSENBERG/REUTERS/NEWSCOM. AJAMIE: FIELDS/COURTESY TROY OF SUBJECT. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 56 MARCH 26, 2020 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 57 MARCH 26, 2020