Alex Spiro: The lawyer behind Eric Adams, Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin

• Alex Spiro, a high-profile attorney, is representing Mayor Eric Adams as he fights criminal charges.
• Spiro is no stranger to star-studded controversy. He defended both Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin.
• Business Insider profiled the lawyer in 2022. The tough lawyer’s fame has only grown since then.

Alex Spiro is once again at the center of a legal case that has everyone talking.

The trial lawyer is bringing his heavy-handed tactics to the federal criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Prosecutors accuse Adams — a former New York Police Department captain who is up for mayor in 2021 — of corruption spanning 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 more than $100,000 in travel perks, including business-class flights on Turkish Airlines and lavish hotel stays, from foreign nationals seeking to buy his favor.

Adams pleaded not guilty Friday to the corruption charges — with Spiro by his side.

The celebrity attorney jumped into the case, promising to quickly file a motion to dismiss as early as Wednesday.

Spiro is probably 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 featured Spiro in a 2022 article describing the lawyer’s rise. BI then wrote:

He’s a tough vigilante who always liked to be in the middle of the action, according to people who know him. From parties and happy hours at Harvard Law to packed courtrooms where he defended clients such as hip-hop mogul Jay-Z; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; and professional athletes like former NBA star Thabo Sefolosha, is no stranger to attention.

And like Musk, perhaps now his most famous client, Spiro elicits a love-or-hate response from the many people he’s met, Business Insider learned in interviews with more than 40 current colleagues and former, clients, classmates, advisors. , and opponents.

Spiro’s star has risen higher since that article.

He represented Alec Baldwin after the actor shot someone on set. The manslaughter case against Baldwin was dropped earlier this year after Spiro claimed prosecutors withheld key evidence before the trial.

Now Spiro is in the middle of a historic trial, while Adams defends himself against charges of bribery and corruption.

One of Spiro’s colleagues told Newsham that Spiro’s approach made him particularly attractive to those in power who suddenly found themselves in the middle of a firestorm.

“Someone who has been maligned a lot appreciates a guy like Alex,” this person added.

Newsham also collected this telling anecdote:

Randy Zelin, a white-collar defense attorney who taught at Cornell Law School, said he had Spiro speak to his law students about representing high-profile clients. He said Spiro “is as real as you get.”

“A client who comes to Alex knows you’re going to get the truth. You will understand clearly,” said Zelin. “Alex is going to tell you, me, or anyone else to screw themselves if I don’t agree.”

Some lawyers will stab you in the back, Zelin said. Spiro “is going to stab me in the chest,” he said.

Read the full profile of Alex Spiro here.