A lawyer whose clients included some of the world’s leading music artists has died aged 83 after a short illness.
Paddy Grafton Green began his career in 1967 as an articled clerk with Theodore Goddard and he started out as a private client lawyer.
When the firm was consulted on behalf of The Rolling Stones, Paddy stepped in to advise and quickly became a close confidant of the band.
He grew his legal practice in the entertainment business and carved out a niche as one of London’s most sought-after lawyers and a respected partner in the firm.
He became senior partner in 1997, then led the firm into its merger with Addleshaw Booth & Co. in 2003 to create Addleshaw Goddard.
In 2006, Paddy lent his support to a group of partners who took the Addleshaw Goddard entertainment business to Simkins, where Paddy enjoyed many more years of practice.
A spokesperson for Simkins described him as the ‘doyen of music business lawyers who was dearly loved by the many clients and colleagues with whom he worked over a long and successful career’.
‘His clients were extraordinary people at the top of their careers: the Rolling Stones, Robert Stigwood, Tina Turner, David Bowie and Joan Armatrading, to name but a few.
‘His clients loved his diligence, discretion and incisive advice, but it was his ability to take on their problems with empathy and provide practical and pragmatic solutions that was the key. He managed to do all this while remaining unfailingly polite, even while being tough. He was always able to deliver his message with humour, warmth and humanity.’
Paddy is survived by his wife, Deborah, his four children, Nicholas, Charlotte, Patrick and Lucy, and five grandchildren, Hugh, Theodore, Francis, Wilfred and Hannah.
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