The wait is finally over. Sean “Diddy” Combs is in court today picking his jury. As we’ve reported previously on The Root, Diddy is facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and engaging in interstate transportation for prostitution.
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As you know, the 55-year-old rapper was arrested in Manhattan by federal authorities six months after they raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Since Diddy has decided to plead not guilty and was denied bail, the rap mogul has banded together a strong team of defense to help him fight his case.
So who are his lawyers and will do they have the skills to free him? Diddy’s team will be headed by attorneys Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos, Xavier Donaldson, and Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug in his RICO case. Here is a full breakdown of Diddy’s attorneys and their background? Let’s start with Marc Agnifilo:
Marc Agnifilo is Diddy’s lead trial counsel. Agnifilo is a founding partner in the law firm Agnifilo Intrater LLP, according to the firm’s site, and has over 200 Federal and State cases behind him, and is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
According to Newsweek, Agnifilo also represented Keith Raniere, the founder of NXIVM, a multi-level marketing company that turned into a “cult-like” group. Agnifilo is known for handling high-stakes criminal cases such as wire, money laundering, insurance and bankruptcy fraud, racketeering, bribery, and more, according to XXL.
In September of 2024, Agnifilo told TMZ that Diddy is an “imperfect person but is not a criminal.”
Teny Geragos:
Teny Geragos is another attorney on the team. Geragos is also listed as a founding partner to the Agnifilo Intrater LLP firm. Geragos’s bio on the site says that she is “particularly experienced in defending and investigating allegations of sexual misconduct.”
Geragos received a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Media from New York University in 2013 and a degree in law from the Loyola Law School in 2016, per Geragos’s LinkedIn.
According to NBC News, Geragos is the daughter of Mark Geragos, a criminal defense lawyer known for representing stars such as Chris Brown, Winona Ryder, and Nicole Richie.
Xavier R. Donaldson:
According to Complex, Xavier Donaldson was added to Diddy’s legal team on Thursday (May 1) just days before the upcoming trial.
Donaldson received his bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from St Augustine’s University in 1990, and received a doctorate in law from Howard University School of Law in 1994, according to Donaldson’s LinkedIn. Also per Donaldson’s LinkedIn, Donaldson works an independent but worked for more than 20 years at a firm he c0-founded, Donaldson & Chilliest.
Speaking with the New York State Bar Association in a 2019 interview, Donaldson said that he loved the euphoria that comes with being an attorney. “The sense of accomplishment and the hugs of gratitude after securing favorable outcomes results in complex federal cases, state murder trials, and multi-defendant conspiracy matters.”
Brian Steel:
Brian Steel, who is best known for representing Young Thug in the rapper’s RICO case, has been practicing law since 1991, according to the Independent.
Steel received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan in 1987 and received his law degree from the Fordham University School of Law in 1990, accordin to the Steel Law Firm site.
Per Rolling Stone, Douglas Weinstein (the attorney for YSL defendant rapper Yak Gotti) said Steel could be seen as an asset to Combs’s case. “His [Steel’s] insights, tenacity, and character will be a phenomenal addition to Mr Combs’s team.”
Also, per the Steel Law Firm site, Steel specializes in RICO, wire fraud, drug offenses, rape and child sex offenses in both state and federal courts. He was also named on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list in 2023, and he is Georgia’s most successful criminal appellate attorney.
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