Biography[edit]

Braun was born in The Bronx as an only child.^[3] He graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Law School, obtaining a joint B.A. and J.D. degree in 1954. After law school, he joined the firm Pryor, Braun, Cashman & Sherman, where he represented writers, performers, producers and advertising agencies.^[4]


Early in his career, he was introduced to Bob Dylan, and eventually came to represent musicians such as Neil Diamond, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, The Band, Peter, Paul & Mary and Judy Collins.^[5] He became a close friend of Neil Diamond, who called him "one of the great figures in [his] life" during a 2008 awards ceremony hosted by the Grammy Foundation.^[4]


He joined the firm Hardee, Barovick, Konecky & Braun in the 1970s and moved his practice from New York City to Beverly Hills, California, where he trained many of the music industry's most prominent attorneys.^[6][7][8] He was also involved in the founding of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[9]


In 1981, he left law to become president and CEO of Polygram Records, and returned to law practice two years later.^[4] In 1990, he joined Proskauer Rose as special counsel.^[10]