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Jerome H. Kern

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Jerome H. Kern
Born (1937-06-01) June 1, 1937 (age 87)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materColumbia University (BA)
New York University School of Law (JD)
Occupation(s)Lawyer, consultant, business executive
EmployerMoelis & Company
Known forFounding partner of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Former Chairman and CEO of Colorado Symphony
Namesake of the Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship
SpouseMary Rossick Kern

Jerome H. Kern[1] (born June 1, 1937) is an American lawyer, investment banker, consultant, and philanthropist. Kern was one of the founding members of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.[2][3] After a career in investment banking, he served as a senior partner of Shea & Gould, then at Baker Botts, while holding senior leadership positions at Tele-Communications Inc. In the early 2000s, he was CEO of Linkshare, On Command, and Playboy. He was also chairman and CEO of Colorado Symphony and is currently a senior advisor to Moelis & Company.[4]

Biography

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Kern received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1957.[5] He then graduated from New York University School of Law on a Root-Tilden Scholarship in 1960 and was managing editor of the New York University Law Review.[6][7]

In 1965, Kern, Herbert Wachtell, Martin Lipton, Leonard Rosen, and George Katz, formed the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.[3] Kern later left the firm to pursue a career in investment banking, running his own brokerage firm J.H. Kern & Company.[3] He returned to law practice, was a partner at Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell & Weyher, and eventually becoming an executive committee member of Shea & Gould.[8]

From 1992 to 1998, Kern was a partner at Baker Botts and was the top outside legal counsel to Tele-Communications Inc. and Liberty Media for over twenty years.[9][10] Described as the right-hand man to John C. Malone,[11] Kern was the architect of TCI's merger with AT&T Corporation and served as a director and Vice Chairman of TCI.[12] Malone once referred to Kern as "the dean of cable lawyers."[8] He left the board of Liberty Media in 2004.[13][14]

Kern was made CEO of Linkshare in 1999.[15][16] He then served as Chairman and CEO of On Command, the nation's largest provider of pay-per-view video services in hotel rooms from 2000 to 2001.[17][12][18]

Since 2001, Kern has run his own consulting firm, Kern Consulting LLC, focusing on serving clients in the media and telecommunications sectors. He joined the board of Playboy Enterprises in 2002 and served as interim CEO from 2008 to 2009 following the departure of Christie Hefner.[9][19] Kern departed Playboy's board of directors in 2009.[9] In 2007, he also formed Enki Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm helping companies expand into mobile and multi-platform media technologies.[20]

In 2020, Kern joined Moelis & Company as senior advisor.[21]

Philanthropy

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Kern donated $5 million to New York University School of Law and set off a $30 million fundraising campaign for the Root-Tilden Scholarship program.[22] Then NYU Law dean John Sexton renamed the scholarship program Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship in honor of his generosity.[23] He currently sits on the law school's board of trustees.[24]

Kern served as Chairman and CEO of Colorado Symphony from 2016 to 2021 and helped with the symphony's fundraising efforts. Kern took over the symphony in 2011 when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, with $1.2 million in debt, and left the organization with an $88 million endowment at the time of his retirement.[1][25] As Chairman, he hired Andrew Litton as music director of the symphony.[26]

Personal life

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Kern is married to Dr. Mary Rossick Kern.[26] The couple lived at the Four Seasons Hotel Denver.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b Politics, JOANNE DAVIDSON Special to Colorado (9 September 2021). "NONPROFIT REGISTER | Colorado Symphony leader announces his retirement". Colorado Politics. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  2. ^ "Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | NYU School of Law". www.law.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  3. ^ a b c "The Early Years | The Lipton Archive". theliptonarchive.org. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  4. ^ vCARD. "Jerome H. (Jerry) Kern". Moelis & Company. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  5. ^ Columbia College (Columbia University). Office of Alumni Affairs and Development; Columbia College (Columbia University) (1958). Columbia College today. Columbia University Libraries. New York, N.Y. : Columbia College, Office of Alumni Affairs and Development.
  6. ^ "Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship Program celebrates its 65th anniversary | NYU School of Law". www.law.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  7. ^ Dim, Joan Marans; Cricco, Nancy Murphy (2001). The Miracle on Washington Square: New York University. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-0216-9.
  8. ^ a b "Shea & Gould's Identity Crisis". The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  9. ^ a b c MCN Staff (2009-07-08). "Jerome Kern Exits Playboy Board". Multichannel News. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  10. ^ "On Command Names Jerome H. Kern as Chief Executive Officer". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  11. ^ Farhi, Paul (September 17, 1995). "HANDS-ON BARGAINER". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Weiker, Jim. "Liberty Media appoints On Command CEO". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  13. ^ "Kern leaves Liberty board". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Amdur, Meredith (2004-02-09). "Liberty to buy stake in Japanese cabler". Variety. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  15. ^ Graser, Marc (1999-04-12). "LinkShare Corp. clicks on Kern for CEO". Variety. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  16. ^ "A TRUE COMMITMENT". Crain's New York Business. 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  17. ^ Egan, Timothy (2000-10-23). "EROTICA INC. -- A special report.; Technology Sent Wall Street Into Market for Pornography". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  18. ^ "On Command cuts work force and earnings estimates". Denver Business Journal. June 26, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  19. ^ Clifford, Stephanie (2008-12-08). "Christie Hefner to Depart Playboy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  20. ^ Reading 10/18/2007, LR Cable News Wire Feed Light. "Cable Guys Form Consulting Firm". Light Reading. Retrieved 2022-06-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Moelis & Company Announces the Appointment of Jerry Kern As a Senior Advisor". Moelis & Company. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  22. ^ Journal, A. B. A. "Diplomas and No Tuition Debt for 16 NYU Law Grads". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  23. ^ "First Class of Full Tuition Scholars in More than Two Decades Graduates" (PDF). NYU School of Law. Fall 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  24. ^ "Board of Trustees | NYU School of Law". www.law.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  25. ^ "Colorado Symphony, flush with $88 million endowment, sees longtime leaders depart". The Denver Post. 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  26. ^ a b Shulgold, Marc (21 January 2014). "Essay: The Broncos and the Colorado Symphony, both winning teams". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  27. ^ "$5.3M Four Seasons condo tops November home sales". BusinessDen. 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
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