Barry Jerome Brett

Barry Jerome Brett passed away December 30, 2023. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1940, and always a proud Dodgers and eventually Mets fan, he lived an extraordinary life; proud of his professional accomplishments, his greatest joy came from his children and grandchildren. As he often liked to say, his was a story from Brooklyn to Brookline. The son of immigrants found his way in the world through Stuyvesant high school and the City College of New York and then Columbia Law school.
He enjoyed a prominent career as an antitrust lawyer. He was a long-time partner at Parker Chapin Flattau & Klimpl which became part of the firm Troutman Pepper, where he served as the antitrust practice group leader. There he handled complex litigation including landmark antitrust and trademark cases, across diverse domains including theater, popular music, labor unions and more. He was especially proud of his work in Berkey Photo, Inc. v. Eastman Kodak Company, an epic case involving claims that the Kodak company had used its legal monopoly in the film market to unlawfully monopolize part of the camera market. His antitrust expertise was recognized in his role as chair of the New York State Bar Association antitrust law section from 1997-1998.
As a 1961 graduate of the City College of New York, he always acknowledged the life-long impact of that education. He continued to support the educational mission of the college through his longtime service on the City College alumni board. He was honored to be awarded the Townsend Harris Medal in 2008; this medal is named after the founder of the City College of New York, awarded to its alumni for outstanding achievement in their field. It was there that he found both the intellectual challenge and the joy in rhetoric that he brought to both the courtroom and the dinner table. He continued to share these with a gathering of City College classmates dubbed the Stanley Feingold lunch group – they gathered frequently with their political science professor, Stanley Feingold – and continue to meet to this day – debating politics and culture over corned beef and pastrami.
He enjoyed spending time in Remsenburg, Long Island, and Naples FL, with his leisure time engaged in tennis, golf, and sitting by the water.
After retiring, he and his wife Leslie relocated to Brookline, MA, close to their five grandchildren, giving him the opportunity to share his wisdom, guidance, wit, tennis game, barbecue and chess skills, and an endless supply of knowledge. Most importantly, he delighted in sharing surprises, kindness, encouragement and love with his family. He is survived by his loving wife Leslie, daughters Jessica Brett and Marisa Brett-Fleegler, son-in-laws Mitch McVey and Eric Fleegler, and his grandchildren, Joshua, Naomi, Samara, Brendan and Lex.
City College of New York alumni fund:
https://www.ccnyalumni.org/donate
Dana-Farber/Jimmy Fund
https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=agda_danafarber_cancer_donation2&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=AGDA103023A&s_src=AGDA103023A&s_subsrc=AGDA103023A&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAv8SsBhC7ARIsALIkVT1qJVsDz1mW8GSJMLDYPdUTs-bD28IQWjUqYkWz3QWyT2qkNnxaXA0aAmX-EALw_wcB