Meet the brash lawyer that everyone from Eric Adams to Alec Baldwin and Elon Musk turns to in a crisis
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- Alex Spiro, a high-profile lawyer, is representing Mayor Eric Adams as he battles criminal charges.
- Spiro is no stranger to star-studded controversy. He's defended both Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin.
- Business Insider profiled the lawyer in 2022. The brash attorney's fame has only grown since then.
Alex Spiro is once again at the heart of a legal case everyone is talking about.
The litigator is bringing his hard-charging tactics to the federal criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Prosecutors accuse Adams — a former captain in the New York Police Department who was elected mayor in 2021 — of corruption that spans nearly a decade. They allege he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, including at least one Turkish government official.
Prosecutors allege in the indictment unsealed Thursday that Adams accepted over $100,000 in travel perks, including business class flights on Turkish Airlines and luxurious hotel stays, from foreign nationals seeking to buy his favor.
Adams pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges Friday — with Spiro at his side.
The famed attorney jumped into the case, promising to swiftly file a motion to dismiss as early as Wednesday.
Spiro is perhaps best known for his work for Elon Musk. He represented the world's richest person in a defamation case and multiple other lawsuits.
Business Insider reporter Jack Newsham profiled Spiro in a 2022 article charting the lawyer's rise. BI wrote then:
He's a tenacious litigator who's always loved being in the middle of the action, according to people who know him. From the parties and happy hours at Harvard Law to the packed courtrooms where he's defended clients like the hip-hop mogul Jay-Z; the New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft; and professional athletes like the former NBA star Thabo Sefolosha, he's no stranger to attention. And much like Musk, perhaps now his most famous client, Spiro elicits a love-him-or-hate-him response from many people he's encountered, Business Insider learned in interviews with more than 40 current and former colleagues, clients, classmates, cocounsels, and adversaries.
Spiro's star has risen higher since that article.
He represented Alec Baldwin after the actor shot someone on a film set. The manslaughter case against Baldwin was dropped earlier this year after Spiro argued that prosecutors hid key evidence before trial.
Now Spiro finds himself in the thick of a historic court case as Adams defends himself against bribery and corruption charges.
One of Spiro's colleagues told Newsham that Spiro's approach made him especially attractive to those in power who have suddenly found themselves in the middle of a firestorm.
"Someone who's been vilified a lot appreciates a guy like Alex," this person added.
Newsham also gleaned this telling anecdote:
Randy Zelin, a white-collar defense lawyer who has taught at Cornell Law School, said he's had Spiro speak to his law students about representing notorious clients. He said Spiro "is as real as you get." "A client coming to Alex knows you're going to get the truth. You're going to get it straight," Zelin said. "Alex will tell you, me, or anyone else to go fuck themselves if they don't agree." Some lawyers will stab you in the back, Zelin said. Spiro will "stab me in the chest," he said.
Read the full profile of Alex Spiro here.