Jeff Kwatinetz

In late 2017, Kwatinetz began working with attorney Mark Geragos on numerous civil rights cases.

In 2016, Kwatinetz filed a lawsuit against client Five Finger Death Punch alleging a breach of contract. The band responded, calling the manager "desperate" as well as "exploitative and abusive." In a statement, they elaborated, "Jeff Kwatinetz is well-known as a former music industry powerhouse whose erratic behavior and affiliated corporate bankruptcies have caused most of his companies’ clients, including Backstreet Boys, Korn, Smashing Pumpkins, Janes Addiction and Azalea Banks to flee in droves. In fact, we also fired Prospect Park management four years ago in an effort to escape an arrangement that more resembled indentured servitude. Five Finger Death Punch's recordings are now one of Prospect Park's last remaining and most valuable assets still under contract."

Another employee, Kainoa Henry, was fired from his position and later "filed the breach of contract complaint Monday, alleging he was unfairly forced to resign his chief creative officer job in part because co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz regularly referenced — and praised — right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon while running the three-on-three hoops league featuring retired NBA stars."

In 2013, Prospect Park launched its own web channel, The Online Network, with revivals of the long-running daytime soap operas One Life to Live and All My Children. Later that year it filed a lawsuit against ABC, the licensee of those series, and the Prospect Park Networks division filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2014. The production and music divisions remained unaffected, and in 2015 were positioned as subordinate entities to a reactivated The Firm, Inc.

Kwatinetz has been involved in many lawsuits in relation to his BIG3 Basketball Tournament. Former league commission Roger Mason sued Kwatinetz and the BIG3 after being fired for alleged corruption. He claimed Kwatinetz fostered a "hostile and racist" environment and "has repeatedly referred to black athletes as 'rich n-––s.' Kwatinetz denies the claims. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in November 2019.

Kwatinetz left The Firm in late 2008 and founded the media production, record label and talent management company Prospect Park. He relaunched The Firm in August 2015. Kwatinetz serves as executive producer of the F/X comedy Wilfred and USA Network’s medical comedy, Royal Pains.

Kwatinetz's company represented Spears for one month in 2007. On September 17, 2007, he released a statement saying, "It saddens us to confirm media reports that we have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears. We have represented Britney for the past month. We believe Britney is enormously talented, and has made a terrific record. But current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job. We wish Britney the best."

In August 2002, Vanity Fair reported: "Inside the Firm, Kwatinetz quickly established a reputation for volatility. 'I’ve seen him throw things at Pete [Katsis]’s head, and embarrass him, in front of staff," says Aaron Ray. "That’s just Jeff’s M.O. People are scared to death of him.'"

In May 2002, the LA Times described Kwatinetz as "a lanky Harvard law graduate with a famous temper." They reported, "Two top music executives... characterized Kwatinetz’s negotiating style as abrasive and, ultimately, damaging to his own clients. They say he is known for behind-the-scenes threats of litigation against record companies and regularly demands exorbitant advances for his music acts."

Hollywood madam Michelle Braun, aka 'Nici,' told Federal authorities that Kwatinetz was a client. Private investigator Dan Hanks alleged, "On Feb. 11, 1999, Kwatinetz wrote a check for $6,000 for a coke-fueled three-way with two of Nici's girls."

Kwatinetz founded The Firm in 1997 to quickly become one of the top management and production companies in the industry representing talent in all facets of entertainment. He has been successful in breaking, developing, and managing the careers of artists such as Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice, Yoko Ono, David Hasselhoff, Hanson, Billy Joel, Spin Doctors, Pretty Ricky, Fleet Foxes, KoRn, Limp Bizkit, Backstreet Boys, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, Vin Diesel, Ice Cube, Kelly Clarkson, OneRepublic, Rachel Weisz, Audioslave, Pete Yorn, Puddle of Mudd, and many more. The Firm acquired Artist Management Group in 2002 to add high-profile television and film industry managers and clients such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Benicio del Toro, Bill Condon, and Martin Scorsese and expand into an all-encompassing entertainment management and production company.

Kwatinetz graduated top of his class at Harvard Law school in 1991. In 2001, he was awarded the ACLU Torch of Liberty for his "commitment to Liberty and Justice for All."

Jeff Kwatinetz (born April 15, 1965) is an American entertainment industry executive. He is the former CEO of The Firm, a media production and talent management company in Santa Monica, California, and current COO of CubeVision, the film and television production company he runs with his long-term partner Ice Cube. He is also the co-founder of Big3, a 3 on 3 professional basketball league.