Sumner Redstone’s legal saga has lawyers rolling in cash

Sumner Redstone’s corporate boxing match isn’t doing much for Viacom’s stock price, but it’s spawned a booming economy for lawyers and p.r. firms representing all sides.

If Massachusetts Judge George Phelan was surprised by the 22 lawyers who stood up in his tiny courtroom to hear the case against Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman’s ouster from the Redstone family trust and National Amusements board, he might be even more shocked by the legions of other lawyers, both local and national, toiling over legal documents alongside a bevy of p.r. people presenting their cases to the media.

Viacom and its management are represented by p.r. agency Edelman and law firm Paul, Weiss.

Independent board members are represented by the legal firm Skadden, Arps.

Shari Redstone is represented by ML Strategies for p.r. and the Mintz Levin law firm.

Sumner Redstone is repped by the Hueston Hennigan and the Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe law firms, and p.r. firm Cone Communications.

Viacom and CBS’ controlling shareholder, National Amusements, last week brought on board crisis p.r. firm Brunswick, and works with the Cleary Gottlieb law firm.

Meanwhile, Keryn Redstone is working with Pierce O’Donnell of Los Angeles law firm Greenberg Glusker, who had represented Redstone’s former girlfriend Manuela Herzer.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. At stake amid the legal fights is eventual control of Sumner’s $40 billion media empire.