Seymour Lazar

Seymour Manuel Lazar (June 14, 1927 – March 30, 2016) was an American lawyer known for his flamboyant personal life, prominent celebrity clients, and high-stakes investments, and his part in an illegal kickback scheme.

Personal life Lazar was born in Brooklyn to Orthodox Jewish parents. His family moved to a ranch in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles when Lazar was young. He graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1943, took a job at Lockheed, and enrolled pre-law at University of California, Berkeley. He was drafted into the Army Air Corps, served two years, and then returned to his studies. In 1949, he graduated from Berkeley with a degree in economics, and in 1951, from University of Southern California with a law degree. He dated Maya Angelou when she was working as a cabaret singer. She later stated that he helped launch her career as a poet.

Milberg Weiss kickback scheme Lazar developed a professional relationship with Milberg Weiss, a New York law firm known for handling class-action lawsuits. Over a period of about 25 years, he and members of his family participated, as plaintiffs, in over 50 class-action suits against companies like Hertz and United Airlines. In 2005, a federal investigation of these activities led to an indictment against Lazar for taking $2.6 million in kickbacks from Milberg Weiss. He was charged with mail fraud and money-laundering. In 2007, Lazar plead guilty to obstruction of justice, filing a false tax return and making a false declaration; he was sentenced to six months of home detention and ordered to pay a $600,000 fine, on top of a previously ordered $1.5 million forfeiture.