Musk lawyer Spiro to represent Kushner in World Cup sell-off legal row
Alex Spiro, the US attorney whose repeat clients include Elon Musk and Jay-Z, will represent Joshua Kushner in the legal row over Fifa’s proposed World Cup sell-off.
Spiro successfully defended Musk in his notorious “Pedo Guy” defamation trial, had Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charges dismissed and has acted for Jay-Z in both commercial and civil disputes.
The Quinn Emanuel partner will represent Kushner and his company Thrive Capital after Uefa began litigation against Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino last week over his plan to sell stakes in a new subsidiary to outside investors including Thrive.
European football’s governing body has submitted discovery requests in US courts that include demands for copies of communications between Fifa officials, Infantino and Kushner as it weighs up a complaint to Swiss courts over alleged “criminal mismanagement”.
Among the facts it says it is seeking to establish is who at Fifa and outside the organisation knew about the plan, and how anyone might have stood to gain from it.
“Uefa and its counsel are contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and possibly other Fifa officials for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, together with such further or alternative charges as the developed factual record may support,” the filing, seen by Morning Wire, states.
Spiro’s other clients: NFL owner and former NYC mayor
It adds: “Swiss counsel has confirmed, on the factual record described in this Application, that the proceeding is within reasonable contemplation for purposes of Swiss law and that Uefa has standing, as a complainant, to file a criminal complaint for criminal mismanagement against Infantino and potentially other Fifa officials as may be warranted.”
Fifa and Infantino have been engulfed in crisis since details of the plan to raise $4.2bn by selling stakes in Fifa Forward Enterprise, which would hold the commercial rights to the World Cup.
Confederations Uefa, AFC and Concacaf led the fightback and, although Fifa and Infantino scrapped the sell-off-plan, are still pushing for him to step down.
Spiro’s other clients include former New York City mayor Eric Adams, NBA player Thabo Sefolosha and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.