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Jeffrey Konvitz
Jeffrey Konvitz
Born1944 (age 79–80)
Brooklyn, New York, United States [1]
Alma materCornell University
Columbia University School of Law
Occupation(s)Writer, Film Producer, Attorney

Jeffrey Konvitz (born 1944 in New York) is an American attorney, writer, and film producer.[2][3] He was raised in Woodmere, New York[1] and graduated from Hewlett High School in 1962. He continued his education at Cornell University (BA 1966) and the Columbia University School of Law (1969). Konvitz is probably best known for writing the novel The Sentinel,[4] published in 1974. It was followed by a film adaptation in 1977, which he produced and adapted from the novel.

He married Vicki Peters in 1980, but they were divorced after parenting one child, Kristen Nicole (1983) who is a Motion Pictures Packaging Agent in Los Angeles. Later, he married Jill McWhirter in 1998 and fathered a second child with her, Katherine Arielle (2002). He is Jewish.[5]

Konvitz was Managing Partner of VX119, a financing company in the entertainment industry.[6]

Film career

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Jeffrey Konvitz 1974

Konvitz worked as an agent for CMA, general counsel for the Jerry Lewis theatre chain and a production executive for MGM. As an agent, it would have been usual for Konvitz to option properties and put a package together. Konvitz saw that anything good was being snapped up by studios before it was ever seen by him, so Konvitz set out to write original projects. Konvitz wrote the screenplay for “Silent Night, Bloody Night” which he also produced. Konvitz showed the treatment to the Producers and told them the screenplay was being typed. The Producers asked to see the script on Monday so Konvitz wrote the script himself in 4 days. [7]

Konvitz first pitched The Sentinel as a movie but was turned down by Studios. Konvitz decided to write The Sentinel as a novel, staying up writing until 4am while he practiced law in New York during the day. Simon and Schuster bought the rights to The Sentinel in September of ’73 and within six months he received an offer of $200,000 for the paperback rights and $500,000 for the movie rights from Universal. A first-time author had never before been hired by a major studio to adapt and produce a film from their own novel. [8] [9] The Sentinel would sell over 7 million copies.

 
Konvitz & Nielsen - Spy Hard 1996

Konvitz’s sequel to The Sentinel, The Guardian, sold out entirely in 10 days. It’s publisher, Bantam, went back to immediately print a million extra copies.[10] Konvitz dedicated The Guardian to Rufus, who is credited with editing Chapter 27. Rufus was Konvitz’s 170-Pound Great Pyrenese who ate the problematic Chapter, forcing Konvitz to successfully rewrite it.[11]

Konvitz rose to become one of the top Executives in Hollywood in the 1980s and 90s, leading two Nasdaq listed Entertainment companies: Kings Road Entertainment and Communications and Entertainment Corp.[12] Konvitz was at the forefront of a new wave of film-financing in the 1990s. This new model of film financing, packaging and gap financing spread throughout Hollywood.[13]

Works

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Novels

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  • The Sentinel, 1974
  • The Guardian, 1979 (the sequel to The Sentinel)
  • The Apocalypse, 1979
  • Monster: A Tale of Loch Ness, 1982

Screenplays

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Producer

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General

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Konvitz was admitted to the State Bar of California on October 27, 1983 and has been an active member in good standing since 1983.[2] His practice consists of entertainment finance law and business and entertainment litigation. He has also written major articles on tax shelter film financing for various legal publications [14]

Litigation

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On August 24, 1998, Jeffrey Konvitz as Plaintiff and co-counsel/pro-se, commenced a lawsuit in the United States District Court against Canadian investment bank, Midland Walwyn Capital, for fraud in a busted public merger. The jury found for Konvitz and judgement was entered against Midland and its successors-interest, Merrill Lynch Canada and Bank of America.[15]

Commencing in 2002, Konvitz was retained as lead trial defense counsel representing The Ave Maria Foundation of Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Dominoes Pizza, in a motion picture financing collapse wherein defendant Ave Maria was sued in the United States District Court in Los Angeles. The case was entitled Fulcrum Entertainment and Williams v. The Ave Maria Foundation. Defendant Ave Maria prevailed on all counts against it.

In 2011, Konvitz filed a bank fraud lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Blue Rider Finance Inc., ("Blue Rider") a Konvitz-represented, transactional film finance company, against Harbor Bank and various individuals on allegations of bank fraud, LA Superior Court Case Number SC113530.[16] Konvitz oversaw companion cases in Illinois and Maryland while securing a judgment against the defendants in this Los Angeles action.

Since at least 2017, Konvitz has represented Malek Media Group LLC (MMG) and Matthew Malek in a business dispute with AXQG Corp. and Anita Gou, among others. Malek is the principal of MMG, and Gou owns AXQG. The two companies had agreed to start a film production company, Foxtail Entertainment, LLC, but the relationship quickly soured.[17] The parties arbitrated their dispute, AXQG won, and the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed the arbitration award and entered judgement. The arbitration was a JAMS arbitration.[17] Konvitz proceeded to file an appeal on behalf of his client. The appeal of the Superior Court's confirmation judgement of Arbitrator Huebner's final award was grounded on the improper exclusion of evidence. The primary challenge, however, arose under Code of Civil Procedure Section 1286.2(6), which requires a potential arbitrator to disclose "grounds for disqualification of which the arbitrator was then aware". The Court of Appeal affirmed the Superior Court judgement.[17] The State Bar was supplied with all the Appellate Briefs, which were reviewed by State Bar trial counsel. No action was taken by the State Bar. The State Bar closed the file in June 2021.

In 2015 Konvitz filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Plaintiff Foreign Language Center Inc. et al v. National Geographic, 20th Century Fox and David Hasselhoff et al. The case, which concerned a breach of contract and interference with contract for an ongoing film about the fall of the Berlin Wall, was settled in 2017 before trial, LA Superior Court Case Number BC551154.[16]

On December 18, 2013, Blue Rider was sued by Geringer Capital Inc. ("GFI") in Los Angeles Superior Court with respect to a busted financing arrangement on the motion picture, Boot Camp. Konvitz successfully filed a summary judgement motion for Blue Rider against GFI in trial court . GFI appealed the summary judgement against it to the Court of Appeal. Konvitz was also appellate counsel. The Court of Appeal affirmed the judgement for Blue Rider. The Superior Court Case Number is SC121803. The Appellate Case number is B269378.[16] A cross-complaint filed by Blue Rider is still ongoing.

Konvitz is currently Plaintiff's trial counsel on the ongoing Los Angeles Superior Court film finance litigation entitled Trinity Media Financing International Ltd, a film finance company, v. Every Breath LLC et al.

References

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  1. ^ a b Thomas, Bob (August 7, 1974). "Konvitz decides on job". Clarksdale Public Register. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Jeffrey Steven Konvitz #112184 - Attorney Licensee Search". members.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  3. ^ The New York Times
  4. ^ "The Sentinel". Modesto Bee. August 11, 1979. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Satan at the Door: The Sinister Events Surrounding The Sentinel". The Huffington Post. 20 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Jeff Konvitz J.D." VX119. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  7. ^ "The Los Angeles Times 23 Nov 1974, page 33".
  8. ^ "Asbury Park Press 05 Aug 1974, page Page 6".
  9. ^ "The Ithaca Journal 26 Nov 1974, page 19".
  10. ^ "Daily News 02 Feb 1979, page 6".
  11. ^ "The Los Angeles Times 08 Feb 1979, page 89".
  12. ^ "* Jeffrey Konvitz has been named executive". Los Angeles Times. 14 June 1992.
  13. ^ "More banks fall into gap". 10 July 1997.
  14. ^ https://www.lacba.org/docs/default-source/lal-back-issues/2004-issues/may-2004.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  15. ^ "Merrill Must Pay Damages of $4.75 Million for Advice". Wall Street Journal. 9 October 2002.
  16. ^ a b c http://www.lacourt.org
  17. ^ a b c California Court of Appeal Decision (December 16, 2020). "Malek Media Group LLC v. AXQG Corp" (PDF). Retrieved December 28, 2020.
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Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:American male screenwriters Category:American male novelists Category:20th-century American novelists Category:20th-century American male writers Category:Jewish American screenwriters Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Columbia Law School alumni Category:People from Woodmere, New York Category:George W. Hewlett High School alumni Category:Writers from Brooklyn Category:21st-century American Jews

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