Music Rap: The Case Against Allen Grubman

In 1982, Allen J. Grubman was still a little-known music lawyer when he landed one of his biggest clients: Bruce Springsteen. The rocker's longtime manager, Jon Landau, recalls that one of the reasons he hired Grubman was "the word on the street was that Grubman's firm had done such a fantastic job for Billy Joel."

These days, Grubman, 49, is considered the most powerful lawyer in the music business, but Joel is no longer singing his praises. He's suing Grubman for $90 million, alleging fraud and malpractice. Grubman refuses to discuss the case, but in court papers, the lawyer blasts the suit as a "contrived and libelous attempt" to "smear" his firm, Grubman, Indursky, Schindler & Goldstein.