Who was Skip Brittenham? Top Hollywood lawyer and Heather Thomas' husband passes away

Skip Brittenham, top Hollywood lawyer who represented Harrison Ford, has passed away at 83, his wife, actor and screenwriter Heather Thomas, confirmed.

Updated on: Jul 25, 2025, 23:47:30 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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Skip Brittenham, top Hollywood lawyer who represented Harrison Ford and Eddie Murphy, has passed away at the age of 83, his wife, actor and screenwriter, Heather Thomas, confirmed. Ziffren Brittenham LLP, the legal firm he co-founded, also confirmed his death in a statement saying that Brittenham died on Thursday. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Skip Brittenham with Heather Thomas. (X/ @rockingtomm)

On Friday, Heather Thomas posted her first reaction to her husband's death, thanking everyone who wished her well on Brittenham's passing. The actor and screenwriter remembered the top lawyer as someone who made her feel like the "luckiest girl in the world."

"We were an 'us' for 36 years, and not a single day went by where I didn't feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she wrote in the caption of an X post, along with a photo of her with Brittenham. “I'll be back when I can function a bit better.”

Earlier, Brittenham's law firm also released a statement on his death. “Everyone in our industry knew of Skip’s legal prowess,” it said.

"But some may not have known of his quiet generosity, his ability to find humor and opportunity in the darkest moments, and his unwavering belief that media and the entertainment industry must serve people, not the other way around,” the statement added.

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Who Was Skip Brittenham?

Full name Harry "Skip" Montague Brittenham II, the entertainment lawyer, born in 1941, co-founded the law firm Ziffren Brittenham LLP in 1978. It went on to become one of the most influential law firms in Hollywood. Among their notable clients were actors Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy, Henry Winkler, Tim Allen, and many other big names.

Some of Brittenham's key influences in the industry was brokering Pixar's initial deal with Disney, assisting with the split of DreamWorks into separate entities, and helping facilitate the acquisition of Miramax by Disney.

He married actor and screenwriter Heather Thomas on October 10, 1992. They have three daughters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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