Sean “Diddy” Combs hires Sam Bankman-Fried attorney Alexandra Shapiro

Combs is an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center and pleaded not guilty last month to charges of sex trafficking, extortion and solicitation for prostitution.

Prosecutors allege that Combs “for years used the business empire he controlled to sexually abuse and exploit women and commit other acts of violence and obstruction of justice.”

A judge denied his request for bail and placed the disgraced celebrity in the same shared dormitory as Bankman-Fried – a Brooklyn Institute inmate since August 2023.

Bankman-Fried, who has vowed to continue fighting for his freedom despite being found guilty of defrauding investors of billions of dollars, counts Alexandra Shapiro on his legal team.

Bloomberg reported at the time that Shapiro appealed Bankman-Fried's sentence and confinement to the court in April 2024rts.

Six months later, Shapiro – a partner at Shapiro Arato Bach – now appears to be carrying out similar duties for Combs.

On Monday, the courts received a notice from Combs' legal team filed by Shapiro and fellow attorney Anthony Ricco appealing the federal judge's decision to keep Combs in custody, according to CNN.

Shapiro's resume

Shapiro, who works for both Bankman-Fried and Combs, doesn't necessarily result in the two discussing their respective cases in custody.

Shapiro's specialty is appeals – a skill they both need.

The lawyer is described as “one of the country's leading appellate lawyers” who worked her way up the Supreme Court as one of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's first law clerks more than 30 years ago.

Shapiro, who founded her law firm in 2009, has successfully litigated cases before the Supreme Court and the Second Circuit, often representing high-profile clerks.

Under her representation, charges against a former Deutsche Bank broker accused of conspiring to commit tax fraud were dropped and charges were quashed against two EY partners accused of helping wealthy clients evade taxes.

In fact, Shapiro's experiences working on white collar cases led her to write a novel on the subject. Probably guilty.

Shapiro didn't answer Assets's request for comment asking when she was first taught by Combs.

She did not respond to questions about how close Combs and Bankman-Fried lived.

Assets reached out to other Combs representatives asked for a comment but received no response.

Diddy fell

While Combs has vehemently denied the flood of accusations against him, companies have distanced themselves from the musician and entrepreneur.

The current alleged offenses are the latest in a series of charges against the rapper, whose business dealings have included partnerships with alcohol brands and the launch of his own e-commerce platform.

A brand deal with Diageo North America collapsed last year when both parties ended their relationship in court.

Combs accused Diageo of racism for neglecting its liquor brands, while the company claimed Combs was responsible for their demise after allegedly putting just $1,000 into the joint venture while the company invested $100 million.

Last year, a lawsuit accused Combs of subjecting R&B singer Cassie to a years-long relationship that included beatings and rape – allegations the rapper “vehemently denies.”

Organizations quickly cut ties.

For example, fitness brand Peloton announced in May that it had “discontinued use of Sean Combs’ music and removed the Bad Boy Entertainment Artist Series from our platform.”

This means our teachers will no longer use his music in newly produced courses.”

Likewise, Howard University ended its relationship with Combs after a video was posted online that appeared to show the rapper attacking Cassie in 2016.

In June, the institution revoked his honorary doctorate and dismantled a scholarship program in his name.

“Mr. “Combs' conduct, as captured in a recently released video, is so fundamentally inconsistent with the core values ​​and beliefs of Howard University that he is no longer deemed worthy of the institution's highest honor,” said it in a statement from the university's board of trustees.