Alex Spiro has developed to be the most visible and sought-after attorney in the United States. He commonly represents A-list celebrities in the worlds of entertainment and sports. Recently, he was tapped as the legal representative for New York City Mayor Eric Adams in heavy-duty federal charges, which thrust him into the headlines once more.
Background and education
Spiro was born in the early 1980s in New York and grew up in Boston. He comes from an academically tinted family: his mum is a clinical psychologist, while his father is a dentist. He graduated summa cum laude with a major in biopsychology from Tufts University. After undergrad, he went to Harvard Law School, where he graduated with his J.D. in 2008. While at Harvard, he completed a fellowship with the Central Intelligence Agency, during which he was exposed to many of the numerous legal and investigative processes.
Spiro started his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan from 2008 to 2013. The list of his major prosecutions includes the conviction of serial killers Rodney Alcala and Travis Woods. The foundation for all this shapes his philosophy on defense work, particularly in white-collar crime and complex litigation.
Notable legal career moments
During his nearly twenty-year career as a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, Spiro has made a niche for himself in representing an astonishing lineup of celebrities and other powerful figures in many of the hottest, most critical cases. He is universally recognized for both strategic thinking and trial advocacy. Among the long list of famous celebrities he has represented are Elon Musk, Jay-Z, Alec Baldwin, and Megan Thee Stallion. Notable Cases for Spiro include:
- Elon Musk: He represented Musk through a series of legal battles, including Musk’s purchase of Twitter-now X-and defamation cases.
- Alec Baldwin: Spiro cleared Baldwin of manslaughter charges after the fatal shooting on the set of Rust where it was claimed Baldwin had accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Charges were thrown out for procedural reasons.
- Jay-Z: He won the big victory for Jay-Z in a lawsuit over a cologne deal that saw Jay-Z awarded $4.5 million after being found not liable.
Spiro’s broad-ranging practice areas comprise crisis law, government enforcement, intellectual property disputes, and securities litigation. Having handled some of the most complicated legal landscapes out there, he has become the main man for public figures facing grave accusations.
Current representation of Mayor Eric Adams
Spiro joined the staff of Mayor Eric Adams in September 2024, many months after federal prosecutors released an indictment that accused him of bribery, fraud and violations of campaign finance laws. The indictment said that Adams accepted improper benefits over a multi-year period before failing to disclose those gifts as required. The mayor has denied the allegations publicly, saying he is confident his lawyers will clear his name.
Spiro’s retention is telling, as he has represented clients against a host of serious criminal allegations. He works with WilmerHale partners Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson III in an attempt to work through layered legal issues facing Adams as the mayor remains under continuous investigation by federal authorities.
In response to the indictment, Spiro assailed federal agents over their handling of the case, mentioning Adams has not been arrested and that he is “eager to proceed to trial.”
