Leon Black's Legal Journey: The Latest Development Is in His Favor

He did it his way. Part of Leon Black's reputational comeback has been to leverage the best legal help. And that has been panning out. 

Black's latest win is about his mistress Guzel Ganieva's defamation complaint. Reuters reports:

 " ... the Appellate Division in Manhattan said ... [Ganieva's] non-disclosure agreement covered all her claims against Black, including that he defamed her by saying she tried to extort him ... [It added] even if Ganieva signed the [NDA] agreement under duress, she 'ratified' it by accepting $9 million from Black, including a $100,000 monthly stipend ..."

His lawyer on this one has been Susan Estrich, a brandname in her field. For other recent legal matters, Black had used Big Law firm Quinn Emanuel. Still in the works is Black's legal defense against a complaint filed by a disabled woman contending rape. Earlier in his business matters such as managing his family office Black had used elite law firm Paul Weiss. 

There's a school of thought that Black delayed his rebranding after these problems with Ganieva and his association with Jeffery Epstein by going so high-profile in responding to and filing lawsuits. Among the latter has been legal action against Ganieva's former law firm Wigdor. The use of those prominent lawyers created headlines, all reminding the public of that Epstein linkage. 

A sign that Black is resurrecting from the abyss is that he's conducting interviews with media about financial issues. That's his core competence. Such a focus directs attention from the past to the present and the future. Meanwhile at financial powerhouse Apollo, which he co-founded, the player he chose to take over after the Epstein scandal - Marc Rowan - was just granted a five-year contract. 

In coaching, I usually advise against legal action. It's a wild card, expensive and can generate unsympathetic media and social network responses. 

Affordable Career Coach Jane Genova provides end-to-end career services, ranging from diagnosis of the challenges and fix-it strategies to preparation of resume/cover letters/LinkedIn profiles and how to gain control of an interview. I specialize in over-50 work issues. My edge is a background in marketing communications. For a confidential complimentary consultation please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com. Remote and in-person.

 


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