A Hollywood fixture who's been the longtime technical adviser for the National Association of Theatre Owners resigned from the nonprofit this week, saying he was protesting the mistreatment and ouster of its general counsel, Jackie Brenneman.

Law.com reported on Tuesday that Brenneman was out at the Washington, D.C.-based trade group, which advances the interests of movie theater owners, after five years as legal chief.

Later Tuesday, the Hollywood Reporter reported that Jerry Pierce, whose NATO technical work dates back to 2012, quit Monday because of his dissatisfaction with the organization's new CEO, Michael O'Leary, and how he interacted with Brenneman and other NATO staff.