THE EXECUTOR

Storied entertainment attorney John Branca has dedicated his career to "fighting for artists' rights" - during their lives and, with the likes of the Michael Jackson estate, long after their deaths JOHN BRANCA stopped collecting his clients' RIAA gold and platinum record awards decades ago. On July 1, he was appointed co-executor of his estate with former record executive John McClain, based on a 2002 will that Branca produced for the court. In addition to adding approximately $3 billion in net revenue to its coffers through publishing acquisitions and negotiating better terms for Jackson's catalog including ownership of his master recordings, among others, he has maintained the late artist's cultural relevance through a number of theatrical productions, documentaries and, next year, a biopic - all of which have kept Jackson's brand from being defined by T-shirts and coffee mugs while maintaining focus on his art instead of the allegations of sexual abuse that surfaced late in his life and followed him after death. In his teens, he played guitar and keyboards in two rock bands, The Other Half and The Pasternak Progress.