Nick Reiner's attorney has a history with high-profile cases

Which high-profile clients has Alan Jackson represented?

Alan Jackson spent most of the last two years in a Massachusetts suburb, representing the since-acquitted Karen Read in a murder case that gripped the nation. 

Now, on the other side of the country, Jackson — an attorney who has worked on some of the nation's most high-profile cases — faces an uphill battle. He's representing Nick Reiner, who has been accused of killing his parents: the famed Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

Prosecutors allege Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his parents in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14.

Two days after the Reiners' deaths, Jackson's involvement in the case became publicly known after he addressed reporters outside a Los Angeles courthouse.

But this isn't Jackson's first brush with Hollywood. He previously represented actor Kevin Spacey and producer Harvey Weinstein. Most recently, he served on the defense team for Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman who was acquitted of charges related to the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend.

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Here's what to know about Nick Reiner's lawyer.

Live updates: Rob Reiner's son Nick appears in court, kids break silence

Who is Alan Jackson?

Alan Jackson — not to be confused with the country singer of the same name — is a criminal defense attorney based in Los Angeles, California. He is a partner at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP.

Before working in private practice, Jackson worked at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office as an assistant head deputy for the major crimes division, according to his firm. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the Pepperdine University School of Law and Loyola Law School.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Jackson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in 1991 and a juris doctorate from Pepperdine in 1994.

Alan Jackson's clients: Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Karen Read

In 2019, Jackson represented Spacey in a criminal groping case. The actor was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage busboy at a bar in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 2016, but prosecutors later dropped the case.

Jackson also represented Weinstein in the disgraced Hollywood mogul's second criminal trial in California in 2022. A jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault in that case.

True crime followers will likely recognize Jackson from his most recent work on the Read case, which resulted in an acquittal earlier this year. Read's first trial in the alleged murder of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, ended in a mistrial in 2024.

During the Read case, Jackson became known for his tense questioning of witnesses, including former Massachusetts State Police trooper Michael Proctor. In a crowded courtroom, Jackson recited the cop's crude text messages during cross-examination before rebuking, "Shame on you, sir."

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Jackson became a mainstay in the Read case, greeting supporters outside the courthouse with a hand gesture synonymous with the American Sign Language sign for "I love you." He even offered himself up for a dinner raffle raising funds for Read's legal bills, Boston.com reported.

Still, Jackson remains on Read's team for her impending civil trial, The Patriot Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

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Alan Jackson's role in the Reiner case

In brief remarks outside the courthouse on Dec. 17, Jackson described the Reiners' deaths as a "devastating tragedy."

"We all recognize that," he said. "Our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. Things need to be thoroughly, but very carefully, dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed."

The attorney also asked that "during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward, not with the rush to judgment, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves."

Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder and is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 7.