A judge allowed the Wigdor LLP law firm to stop representing a former Russian model who claims Leon Black sexually assaulted her, leaving her in a precarious legal position to pursue her defamation suit against the Apollo Global Management co-founder.
(Bloomberg) — A judge allowed the Wigdor LLP law firm to stop representing a former Russian model who claims Leon Black sexually assaulted her, leaving her in a precarious legal position to pursue her defamation suit against the Apollo Global Management co-founder.
Guzel Ganieva must represent herself or hire a new lawyer after New York State Supreme Court Justice David Cohen on Tuesday granted a request by Wigdor to quit the case. Wigdor cited a breakdown in its relationship over matters the firm wouldn’t publicly identify.
Ganieva sued Black in 2021 over his denial of her assault accusation. Black has called their relationship a “consensual affair” and claimed she tried to extort money from him over it. Cohen is preparing to rule on Black’s request to have the case dismissed.
“With her counsel now withdrawing, we hope Ms. Ganieva will withdraw her baseless and false allegations against Mr. Black,” a spokesperson for Black said in an emailed statement.
At a hearing in Manhattan, Cohen asked Ganieva if she agreed with Wigdor attorney Jeanne Christensen saying her client wanted to separate from the firm. Ganieva agreed.
“I would love to find someone else,” Ganieva said. “I do not know how realistic it is.”
Ganieva, a law school graduate, said: “I’m the first to admit I’m not a licensed lawyer but I can try.”
Read More: Leon Black Accused of 2002 Rape in Epstein Mansion
Judges typically discourage clients from representing themselves.
“At some point, if you don’t find someone to represent you, you’re going to have to represent yourself,” Cohen said. “Are you OK with that?” Ganieva responded: “Yeah, sure.”
Cohen cautioned he’s working on deciding Black’s motion to dismiss and even a new attorney means it’s possible “there’s nothing for that lawyer to do.”
Ganieva asked for a month to find a new lawyer, saying: “But you can go ahead and decide on dismissal.”
“Thank you, that’s my plan,” Cohen said. “I appreciate your assent on that.”
The judge gave Ganieva until June 2 to find a new lawyer or proceed on her own. He set a hearing for June 13 and said she could amend her lawsuit by June 26 if he doesn’t dismiss it.
Ganieva’s initial allegations of sexual assault, revealed in her Twitter posts in 2021, followed reports of Black’s payments of $158 million to Jeffrey Epstein for tax advice and financial services. Black stepped down from Apollo after the tweets, following months of controversy over his Epstein ties. Epstein died in jail in 2019 of an apparent suicide while facing sex trafficking charges.
Black now focuses on his personal investments through his family office, Elysium Management LLC.
He argues his affair with Ganieva was consensual for six years, and she signed an agreement in 2015 clearing him of all her allegations. Ganieva was promised $21 million under that accord and received $9.5 million, according to Black.
In 2021, Black sued Ganieva, Apollo co-founder Josh Harris and public relations professional Steven Rubenstein, claiming they conspired to destroy him personally and professionally. The federal appeals court in Manhattan upheld a lower court that found Black’s claims “glaringly deficient.”
The case is Ganieva v. Black, 155262/2021, New York State Supreme Court (Manhattan).
–With assistance from Chris Dolmetsch and Bob Van Voris.
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