Michael Gendler

The Oscars will be held this Sunday, March 7 at the Kodak Theatre. While most of us see the ''finished'' project via our television screens, there are those brilliant legal minds that work to protect the nominees year round. This year, Michael Gendler proudly represents the one actress with the most nominations, Meryl Streep.

Ask Michael Gendler to describe the best part of his job, and he will likely tell you it's not a single aspect, but rather a combination of his daily routines, contract meetings and other details that drive his passion. That's not surprising since he represents some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Meryl Streep, Steve Martin (this year's emcee), David E. Kelley, Nora Ephron and Shawn Ryan - among others.

With Meryl Streep gathering the most nominations at this year's Oscar Awards, you can be sure Michael Gendler has kept busy these past weeks in his efforts of protecting his clients. He is quick to point out the biggest job in entertainment law in contemporary day is ensuring clients are provided the best opportunities to creatively express themselves. He agrees the market is tough; after all, it's Hollywood, but there are many ways celebrities and actors can express their creative freedoms while reaping financial awards in the process. Ah, but don't ask anything personal about his clients. His loyalties run deep and you can be sure he wouldn't even reveal the color of the dress one of his well-known celebrity clients wore to a consultation or whether that big-name Hollywood actor takes sugar in his coffee.

So what does Gendler do when it's not Oscar season? He has worked hard to build trust among those celebrities he represents and as a result, he has seen a consistent growth in his clientele. In August, 2009, ABC announced plans to bring the blockbuster film, ''St. Elmo's Fire'' to television as an hour long drama series. The movie was one of the best from the 1980s and really defined the actors who made up ''the Brat Pack'' - Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Mare Winningham, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson. It was the first film that really pushed filmmaker Joe Schumacher front and center. Topher Grace is slated to play a significant role in the new series, tentatively titled, ''Fire''. His representation is none other than Michael Gendler. With the contracts signed and a script commitment with an attached penalty, the new series is slated to begin filming in the very near future. It is projects such as these that truly inspire Gendler in his chosen field.

Clearly, it's a commitment to his clients, a dedication to contract law and a true passion for life that keeps Gendler forging new roads in the entertainment industry. Its likely Sunday will be the first evening in a while that he will be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of those commitments and hard work. Of course, with the work ethics and his approach to the law, you can be sure those few hours will only energize him for next season's award ceremonies.

Licensed in 1980 in the state of California, Gendler has practiced in the Beverly Hills since. Few attorneys have what it takes to make it in entertainment law, Gendler, however has raised the legal bar for attorneys everywhere.