Arthur N. Greenberg, 1927 -- 2026

Arthur N. Greenberg, a founding partner of Greenberg Glusker LLP and a towering figure in Los Angeles' legal, philanthropic, and cultural communities for more than six decades, died Monday. He was 98.

Greenberg's life traced the arc of modern Los Angeles itself -- rising from a young lawyer in the inaugural class of UCLA School of Law to a central architect of one of the city's most enduring law firms and a driving force behind some of its most important civic institutions.

He was, colleagues often said, both a legal craftsman and a civic builder. To his family, he was also something more intimate.

"My father was a family man," said his son, Jonathan Greenberg. "He was extremely proud that he came home for dinner every night. That was part of his identity."

Greenberg graduated from UCLA Law School in 1952 as part of its first graduating class, a distinction that would define not only his career but his enduring relationship with the law school.

Seven years after graduating, Greenberg helped launch what would become Greenberg Glusker. The firm began modestly in 1959, operating out of a converted Beverly Hills Safeway store with just three lawyers - Greenberg, Philip Glusker, and Irving Hill. From those humble origins, it grew into what is now the largest single-office law firm in California -- an institution that, with 115 attorneys, has remained rooted in Los Angeles even as many of its peers expanded nationally or were absorbed into larger entities.

Glusker, like Greenberg, remained closely associated with the firm until his death in 2015. Hill left the firm to join the judiciary and became chief judge of the Central District of California

At the outset, there was no grand design for the law firm. "They started off with three young men from the Midwest with no ties to Los Angeles," said Norman H. Levine, a longtime partner who joined the firm in 1975. "They set off just to make a living and provide for their families. The vision came later."

That vision, Levine said, was grounded in a deep understanding of Los Angeles itself. Greenberg recognized that the city's economy was built not only on large corporations but on real estate, entertainment and closely held businesses -- and he shaped the firm accordingly.

"He understood what Los Angeles was," Levine said. "We weren't going to be like firms that only represented Fortune 500 companies. It was relationships with high-net-worth individuals and successful small businesses that propelled Los Angeles then and still today."

That approach proved prescient. While many firms pursued geographic expansion, Greenberg and his partners stayed anchored in Century City, building depth rather than breadth.

"There was never much temptation," Levine said. "We talked about maybe opening an office in Orange County, but that was it. Having a bunch of people we didn't know in other offices -- that was never what we wanted. That was Arthur."

Levine described a daily ritual that captured both Greenberg's authority and his humility.

"I learned everything I needed to know about running a law firm watching Arthur come to work in the morning," Levine said. "He'd walk in, say hello to everybody by name -- the lawyers, the receptionists, the staff. They were all part of the team."

Even in his 90s, Greenberg remained a visible presence in the office.

He often described himself, his son recalled, as "the last of the generalists," a lawyer who handled whatever came through the door -- real estate, litigation, contracts, trusts and estates.

His work was lauded by local institutions. He received the Anti-Defamation League's Justice and Jurisprudence Award in 2008, the LA Jewish Federation's Maimonides Torch of Justice Award, and was named UCLA Law School's Dean's Circle Donor of the Year in 2016.

But beyond accolades, he saw the law as a tool for service.

"He believed the law is about serving your clients, helping them solve their problems and make their lives better," said Jonathan Greenberg, a lawyer who taught at Stanford Law School for many years.

Levine echoed that view, describing Greenberg as "the consummate problem solver" who approached even the most complex issues with deliberation and follow-through.

"If you asked him a question and he didn't have the answer, he'd say, 'Let me think about it,'" Levine said. "And the next day he'd be back in your office -- 'I've been thinking about it.'"

Greenberg's impact extended far beyond legal practice. He was a founder, supporter or leader of numerous major cultural and philanthropic institutions in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Skirball Cultural Center.

He also served as president of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and was deeply involved with Temple Leo Baeck, where he was a longtime leader.

Giving back, his son said, was not something Greenberg advertised. "It was just part of life," he said.

In many ways, Greenberg's life reflected broader changes in Los Angeles itself.

"I think my father was kind of a transition figure in the city," Jonathan Greenberg said. "One of the first Jewish professionals to be included and accepted in leadership roles in major cultural institutions. ... His life represents a huge cultural change in Los Angeles."

For younger lawyers, his presence served as both inspiration and instruction. Levine recalled arriving at the firm as a young attorney and quickly realizing Greenberg's stature.

"He was already a giant," Levine said. "He built the firm, brought in the big matters, trained the lawyers -- and still had time for his family and the community. None of us could hope to attain everything he did."

That balance became one of Greenberg's defining traits.

"How he did it all, I don't know," Levine said. "But he decided what was important, and he did it."

"He really loved the law," his son said. "It was his pathway -- not just to a career, but to who he was."

Greenberg is survived by his wife, Claire Greenberg; his sons, Jonathan Greenberg and Rob Greenberg; daughters-in-law Natsuko Greenberg and Gabby Greenberg; and grandchildren Kenji and Tomo Greenberg, and Ted and Sam Greenberg.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Audrey Greenberg, and his son, Daniel Greenberg.