The Unexpected Perks of Some White-Shoe Lawyers

Sometimes, the pro bono work of our hard-working associates of big law firms can take them to special places. Like, for instance, going backstage at the O2 Arena in London, before Led Zeppelin's historic reunion concert on Monday night.

The concert was a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records, who signed Led Zeppelin in 1968 and went on to sign the Rolling Stones, Cream, and Genesis, as well as Foreigner, one of the opening acts at Monday's concert.

Ertegun died last year, and the trusts and estates practice of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is administering his estate.

Mica Ertegun, the music executive's widow, turned to Skadden earlier this year, telling them that Led Zeppelin wanted to re-unite in his honor. Carolyn B. Handler, an associate who specializes in tax-exempt organizations in Skadden's small T&E group, set up a foundation, and then worked with counsel in England for a public charity that adds money to the donations of its individual citizens.

The net proceeds from the concert will benefit the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which will offer needs-based music scholarships to students in the U.S., Britain and Ertegun's native Turkey. Two colleges have been selected for scholarships so far: St. John's College, Ertegun's alma mater in Maryland; and Ravensbourne College in Britain.

The concert, at £125 a ticket, was a sell-out in the 20,000 concert hall. (In fact, tickets were available by ballot only.)

Ronald J. Weiss, the Skadden partner who worked with Handler on the project, says the foundation is awaiting the reconciliation of the books from the accountants.

He estimates that, under the firm's customary billing rates, about $100,000 worth of attorney time was spent on the project.

"This may be fun, it may be sexier than representing some small institution," says Weiss, but it merely reflects Skadden's "proud and deep commitment to pro bono."

He called it a "plug for the firm," but it's got some substance: Skadden's work on death-penalty matters is longstanding, and since 1988, the Skadden Fellowship Foundation has offered selected law school graduates a salary to pursue public interest work.

But, hey, what about the concert?

"It was a fabulous night!" says Handler, who paid for her own ticket and made a donation on top of that. She went with Laurel Henschel, Skadden's chief operating administrative officer and one of her best friends.

The night was very much about Ertegun, she said. After the band finished "Stairway to Heaven," front-man Robert Plant said, "Hey Ahmet, we did it!"

Handler is a Led Zeppelin fan, and she didn't learn the music from her parents (as I assumed before our interview). Born in 1958, Handler called herself a "millionth-year" associate, with a laugh.

Alas, there were no glimpses of Plant or the other band members when Handler went backstage. Before the concert, she met with the band's lawyer, George R. Fearon, chair of the entertainment law practice at Phillips Nizer, for "some last minute contract negotiations."

Fearon, by the by, also represented Led Zepellin in the take-down of videos from the concert that are flooding the YouTube website. Fearon declined to talk about the concert, referring questions to the band's manager.

by Karen Donovan