In an effort to beat back bombshell sexual assault allegations leveled by a former co-worker, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has retained a celebrity attorney who, in the words of The New Yorker, “keeps the rich and famous above the law.”
A notice of appearance filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court reveals that Alex Spiro—who charges $2,025 an hour for his services—has signed on as Adams’ co-counsel in the ongoing lawsuit filed by Lorna Beach-Mathura, who alleges that the mayor sexually assaulted her three decades ago when they both worked at the city Transit Police Department.
Spiro, who has defended bold-faced names like Elon Musk, Alec Baldwin, and Jay-Z, will also be representing the city and Adams’ ex-employer, the NYPD.
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According to one opposing lawyer, Spiro is “a bit of a cowboy, but he’s very good at it.” He is also currently representing Charlie Javice, the millennial tech CEO accused of inflating her startup’s user base before selling it to JPMorgan Chase for $175 million.
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the undersigned hereby appears in the above-captioned action as co-counsel for Defendant Eric Adams (‘Defendant Adams’), and the City of New York and Transit Bureau of the New York Police Department (collectively, ‘Municipal Defendants’) and requests that all papers related to the action filed in the Supreme Court be served upon the undersigned at the address stated below,” Spiro’s filing states. “The Office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, Hon. Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, remains co-counsel for Defendant Adams and the Municipal Defendants.”
It is unclear who is paying Spiro’s eye-watering fees, but a source with first-hand knowledge of the situation said the city caps its rates for partners at $250 an hour and associates as $175 an hour. A City Hall spokesman did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for further details. Megan Goddard, who is representing Beach-Mathura, did not respond to a request for comment.
