JFS Gala Honoree Spotlight: Michael S. Gendler | Susie Forer-Dehrey Spirit of Humanity Award

Michael S. Gendler is a founding member of Gendler & Kelly, where he represents actors, writers, producers, and directors, including Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Chris Pine and Shonda Rhimes. Prior to 1996 Michael was a partner at Irell & Manella, where he headed the entertainment department. For a decade, Michael has been honored in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual “Power Lawyers: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys” and Variety’s annual “Legal Impact Report” and has been on their “V500” list of top entertainment business leaders for the last two years. Michael was a member of the Executive Board of the College of Letters and Science at the University of California at Berkeley and served on the Board and Executive Board of the UCLA Lab School. For ten years he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Marlborough School and served as Board President. Michael and his wife, author Jessica Teich, have two daughters, Isabel and Charlotte.