For the American poet, see Irwin Russell (poet) .

Irwin E. Russell (January 24, 1926 - August 23, 2013) was an American entertainment lawyer , ^[1] whose clients included Dr. Seuss , Michael Eisner , Jim Henson , David Wolper , Christina Crawford and Robert Preston . ^{[1] [2] [3]} Russell was a leading attorney behind the 1984 takeover of The Walt Disney Company and the accession of Michael Eisner as the CEO of Disney. ^[1] Prior to this, Russell negotiated deals which brought Candid Camera to television and Jim Henson's Muppets to Sesame Street . ^{[1] [2]}

Russell was born on January 24, 1926. He received a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1949. ^[1] He worked in private practice in New York City . ^[1] Russell had also served on the National Wage Stabilization Board , based in Washington D.C. ^[1]

Russell moved to Los Angeles in 1971. ^[1] One of Russell's best known clients was Michael Eisner, whom he represented for more than forty years from Eisner's time at ABC , Paramount , and Disney. ^[1] He continued to represent Eisner at The Tornante Company until his death in August 2013. ^[1] In 1984, Russell negotiated the deal which brought Eisner to Disney as the company's CEO. ^[1] Irwin Russell then served on the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company . ^[1]

Irwin Russell died of complications from leukemia on August 23, 2013, at the age of 87. ^[1] His was survived by his wife, Suzanne. ^[2]

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