Mark Roesler

Mark Roesler (born October 31, 1955) is an American intellectual property rights lawyer and business entrepreneur. He is the chairman and CEO of CMG Worldwide, a marketing and management firm that represents the estates of deceased celebrities, including Bettie Page and James Dean.
Early life
Roesler was born in Alexandria, Indiana and started a roofing company to finance his college education. As an undergraduate, he attended DePauw University and then went on to earn a joint JD and MBA through the Indiana University School of Law and Kelley Graduate School of Business. While in graduate school, Roesler became a licensed real estate broker.
Career
After graduating in 1981, Roesler was hired by Curtis Publishing, the license manager of Norman Rockwell’s artwork, to protect its rights to the artist’s name and image. During his tenure with Curtis Publishing, Roesler realized that the families of deceased celebrities were also in need of legal defense to protect their loved ones’ names and likenesses. As he began the groundwork for CMG Worldwide, Roesler acquired the Elvis Presley estate.
Aside from representing famous deceased people, CMG lobbies for the creation of special laws that will protect the image or likeness of famous personalities. Roesler has represented the estates of many celebrities, including James Dean, in high-profile legal battles. Roesler has been called upon several times for expert witness testimonies. During the 1997 O.J. Simpson trial, Roesler calculated Simpson’s future net worth as $25 million, a figure the jury kept as an accurate assessment throughout the trial.
Most recently, Roesler has been featured in the press regarding the Michael Jackson estate, including his post-mortem earning power. He has been featured on CNN, Fox Business Network, MSNBC, and the Today Show.

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