what you need to know – NBC New York

Mayor Eric Adams, who faces corruption and bribery charges, has hired a celebrity attorney known for being the go-to guy for high-profile clients involved in high-profile cases.

Alex Spiro represents Adams in a shocking political case that has shaken up City Hall.

“Federal agents appeared this morning at Gracie Mansion in an attempt to create a spectacle (again) and take Mayor Adams’ phone (again). He has not been arrested and is looking forward to his day in court ” Spiro said Thursday. “They send a dozen agents to collect a phone when we would have gladly returned it.”

In addition to Adams, New York-based Spiro has solidified his legal career representing high-profile clients including Alec Baldwin, Elon Musk, Megan Thee Stallion, Jay-Z, Mick Jagger, Thabo Sefolosha, Robert Kraft, Julian Edelman and Aaron Hernandez.

Beyond his headline-grabbing career, who is Alex Spiro?

Alex Spiro’s impressive CV

Spiro has deep ties to New England, having graduated from Wellesley High School in 2001, according to NBC Boston. He graduated from Tufts University and then continued his studies at Harvard Law School (2008).

According to his biography posted on the Quinn Emanuel Company website, Spiro studied biopsychology and worked at Harvard Psychiatric Center, McLean Hospital, where he oversaw services at an adolescent treatment center and directed a program for children with autism and Asperger’s.

After earning his law degree, Spiro served as a Manhattan district attorney for a time.

As a partner in Quinn Emanuel’s New York office, Spiro serves as co-chair of the Investigations, Government Enforcement & White Collar Defense Practice, where he focuses on “white collar” crimes.

Spiro also served on the faculty at his alma mater, participating in Harvard’s Trial Advocacy Program. He also taught at Harvard Law School and served as board chairman of Harvard’s criminal justice initiative known as the Fair Punishment Project. He is also legal advisor to the Reformed Alliance.

What other high-profile cases has Spiro taken on?

As a Manhattan prosecutor, he was involved in many high-profile cases, securing a conviction against Rodney Alcala, also known as the “Dating Game” serial killer following murders in the 1970s, according to his biography. He also convicted serial murderer Travis Woods and was part of the Conviction Integrity Unit that focused on investigating wrongful convictions.

Subsequently, his impressive CV led Spiro to represent numerous celebrities. Here are some cases:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Spiro has a long history of representing members of the New England Patriots team, according to NBC Boston.

He was hired by Julien Edelman when Edelman appealed his four-game suspension in 2018. Most notable is that Spiro was also a member of Hernandez’s defense team in Hernandez’s double homicide trial.

He was also hired by the Patriots owner Robert Kraft in 2019 while facing charges of soliciting prostitution in Florida.

FORMER NBA PLAYER THABO SEFOLOSHA

Spiro also represented former Bulls, Hawks, Jazz and Rockets basketball player Thabo Sefolosha, who was later found not guilty of misdemeanor charges of obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest following an incident with police outside a New York nightclub in 2015. Sefolosha ultimately received $4 million from New York City in a settlement related to the incident.

JAY-Z AND 21 SAVAGE

In 2019, rapper and mogul Jay-Z hired Spiro to help fellow rapper 21 Savage in his fight against deportation.

ALEC BALDWIN

Most recently, Spiro represented actor Alec Baldwin in his manslaughter case related to the fatal “Rust” shooting. (The manslaughter charge was ultimately dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be revived once appeals are exhausted.)

MEGAN THEE STALLION

Spiro was also the superstar lawyer Megan Thee Stallion asked to represent her when she was accused of harassment by a cameraman who said he was forced to watch her have sex with another woman earlier this year.

Emilio Garcia said in the lawsuit filed in April in Los Angeles County Superior Court that after the alleged incident, he was warned, “never discuss what you saw,” and berated, humiliated and treated differently by Megan, according to NBCNews.com.

ELON MUSK

Spiro has long been considered one of Elon Musk’s right-hand men and confidants.

He apparently led the first round of mass layoffs when Musk bought Twitter in 2022, according to an NBCNews.com article.

Recently, when the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a federal judge to sanction Musk if he continues to violate the court’s order to appear for a deposition in an investigation into his 2022 acquisition of Twitter, Spiro wrote in a response that “such drastic action would be inappropriate,” adding that the SEC and the Tesla founder had agreed that a delay would be allowed in light of an emergency, according to a CNBC article.