Get to Know Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Legal Team
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is expected in court on May 5. The much-anticipated start of his trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges will begin with jury selection on that date. While Diddy amassed his legal team months ago, he has not been opposed to adding legal experts in the days before the trial’s start date. Two lawyers were added to the team in the last month, while one withdrew from the team in February. Let’s meet the lawyers who will defend Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. If convicted, Diddy could face life in prison.
Marc Agnifilo will lead the team
Marc Agnifilo, a 1990 Brooklyn Law School graduate, is the lawyer believed to be leading Diddy’s legal defense. Agnifilo is a founding partner at Agnifilo Intrater LLP, a law firm specializing in high-stakes criminal cases.
Agnifilo’s involvement in the case makes a lot of sense; he has served as legal counsel for clients accused of similar crimes to Diddy’s for decades. He specializes in cases involving securities fraud, racketeering, money laundering, and bribery. Agnifilo famously represented Keith Raniere, the leader of the infamous sex cult NXIVM. A jury found Raniere guilty. He also defended Martin Shkreli and Roger Ng.
Agnifilo works with his wife, Karen Friedman Agnifilo. She is currently serving as legal counsel to Luigi Mangione. Mangione, who is charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is being housed in the same detention center as Diddy.
Teny Geragos is the youngest member of Diddy’s team
Teny Geragos has been spotted leaving court with Marc Agnifilo several times since Diddy was arrested. She is the youngest member of Diddy’s legal team. While she lacks the years of experience her teammates have, she has worked on several complex cases since graduating from Loyola Law School in 2016.
Geragos has defended clients on charges ranging from public corruption to sexual misconduct. She was involved in the defense of Martin Shkreli and Keith Raniere. Geragos’ involvement in Diddy’s legal defense proves she is following in her father’s footsteps. Her father, Mark Geragos, is a lawyer to the stars. He famously defended Chris Brown and has reportedly worked with Diddy, off and on, over the years. Mark Geragos is not working on Diddy’s current case.
Alexandra Shapiro has secured appellate reversals
Alexandra Shapiro, like Marc Agnifilo, brings years of experience to the table. The New York City lawyer graduated from Columbia Law School in 1991. According to her LinkedIn profile, she graduated first in her class. She worked as a clerk under Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg upon graduation.
Since then, Shapiro has focused on litigation. According to the American Law Institute, Shapiro has experience in white-collar crime, appellate litigation, and regulatory Law. Shapiro is well-known for her work on appeals.
Brian Steel has been held in contempt of court before
Brian Steel is a more recent addition to Diddy’s legal team. Despite being added to the team in recent months, his name appearing in connection with this particular trial isn’t a big shock. Steel is well-known for representing music celebrities. Steel famously served as counsel to Young Thug during his highly publicized RICO case.
Young Thug, a 33-year-old rapper, was accused of running and co-founding Young Slime Life, an Atlanta-based gang. Prosecutors claimed the street gang was responsible for various crimes, including murder, armed robbery, and drug trafficking. Young Thug accepted a plea deal in 2024, but not before Steel was held in contempt of court. According to the U.S. Sun, Steel was held in contempt when he refused to share how he found a connection between the case’s judge, the prosecutor, and one of the case’s witnesses.
Diddy added Xavier Donaldson to the team at the last possible minute
The most recent addition to Diddy’s legal team is Xavier Donaldson. According to TMZ, the Howard University graduate was added to Diddy’s team on May 2. Donaldson worked as a prosecutor in New York City before moving into private practice. He has extensive experience with fraud cases.
It is unclear why Diddy opted to add him to his legal team at the last minute or how his inclusion will impact the trial moving forward. Diddy’s team has not requested to delay the trial.
Anthony Ricco quit the team in February
The addition of Donaldson and Steel to Diddy’s legal team isn’t the only big change in his defense. In February, Anthony Ricco recused himself from the case. In a motion filed in New York City, Ricco stated, “Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs.” He did not provide specific reasons and has not spoken about his decision since.
Before his departure, Ricco brought a lot of experience to the table, given his work on high-profile cases. According to several sources, the lawyer, based out of New York City, has served as counsel in dozens of federal death penalty cases and has worked on various other complex criminal cases. Ricco is also a law professor.
