Bryan Freedman, the lawyer hired by Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon, is a Hollywood heavyweight who could secure them mega-million payouts

• Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon have both hired heavyweight lawyer Bryan Freedman.

• Fox News host Carlson and CNN anchor Lemon left their networks on Monday.

• Freedman's former clients have included Vin Diesel, Quentin Tarantino, and Mariah Carey.

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon have hired high-powered Hollywood attorney, Bryan Freedman, after leaving their networks Fox News and CNN Monday.

Freedman is known for aggressively pursuing lawsuits on behalf of clients fired by TV networks — and securing multi-million dollar payouts.

His hiring is a sign that Carlson and Lemon could be gearing up to sue their former employers over their dismissals.

Here's a look at Freedman's career, and the cases that made his name.

Freedman set up his law firm with a friend after graduating in the early '90s.

Freedman studied at Berkeley, California, then attended the McGeorge School of Law. He passed the California bar exams in 1991.

Speaking about his move into entertainment law in an interview with McGeorge School of Law, Freedman said: "I wanted to be a litigator because I'd always argued with people my whole life, and I thought it was the best way that I could protect people."

He set up his law firm, Freedman and Taitelman, LLP in 1997 with college friend Michael Taitelman.

He soon established himself as one of the top trial attorneys in Hollywood, representing a string of 'A list' clients.

Freedman lists a dazzling array of famous clients on his website, including Vin Diesel, Gabrielle Union, Kate Beckinsale, Julia Roberts, Robert Downey Jr., Quentin Tarantino and musical artists including Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, and Linkin Park.

The Hollywood Reporter described him as "an expert in crisis litigation, the type that's heavy in late night phone calls and corporate drama."

He's been on the California 'Super Lawyers' list, a peer-based rating for the top 5% of attorneys in Southern California, every year since 2007, and has featured in the Hollywood Reporter's 'Top 100 Power Lawyers' list every year since 2008.

Freedman has a long track record in securing multi-million dollar payouts for TV hosts fired from their jobs.

In 2018, Freedman secured former Fox News host Megyn Kelly a $30 million payout after NBC News terminated her contract. 

She was fired after defending blackface costumes on an edition of "Today."

Freedman successfully argued that the network should pay the host her full contract.

Freedman also secured settlements for TV personalities Chris Harrison and Gabrielle Union.

Freedman helped secure Harrison a $9 million payout after he was fired as host of ABC's "The Batchelor" having defended a contestant who had attended a Confederate-themed event, Variety said. 

He also negotiated an undisclosed settlement for actor Gabrielle Union after she accused NBC of racial discrimination after being fired as a judge of "America's Got Talent."

He represented the estate of late singer Michael Jackson when it sued HBO over a 2019 documentary which aired child abuse allegations.

In 2019, a HBO network aired "Leaving Neverland," a documentary that accused Jackson of having abused children.

Freedman argued as part of the $100 million lawsuit that HBO broke a 1992 non-disparagement agreement when it filmed one of Jackson's concerts, with the case going to arbitration in 2020. 

In recent years, he's added a series of influencers to his client list.

Freedman is described on his website as the "lawyer of choice in the gaming and influencer world". He's represented Jake and Paul Logan in various lawsuits.

But he has also faced controversy, after details of a 1986 sexual assault lawsuit were resurfaced by Insider in 2022.

According to the lawsuit, Freedman and two members of a college fraternity assaulted a 17-year-old woman after a party. 

At the time, Freedman and others accused of the attack said the plaintiff had consented to everything that happened that night. Freedman and the others named in the lawsuit paid $40,000 each in settlement to the accuser.

Freedman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Freedman has represented a number of high-profile clients facing sexual assault allegations.

He represented Kevin Spacey after the actor faced a series of sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, Insider reported, and he also represented Diplo when the DJ faced sexual assault allegations in 2021 that were ultimately dismissed.

Freedman has also represented FKA Twigs in her sexual assault lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, reports said. 

It's unclear whether his latest big name clients intend to sue their former employers. But if they do, they're in the right hands.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Fox News intends to pay Carlson for the rest of his $20 million per year contract, though its unclear when it expires.

It's unknown if CNN intends to pay Lemon for the rest of his contract, which according to The New York Times runs until 2026.

Read the original article on Business Insider