Spinmeisters of the Apocalypse
Apr 22 2009
Teed Off
Protection Guaranteed
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Star Clients: Dick Fuld; Mark Madoff; Andrew Madoff
The bio: With former clients including former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, his wife, Silda, and Martha Stewart, Sard is known for his wide net of contacts. During Stewart’s trial, he created MarthaTalks.com so that she could communicate with her fans.
Reaching out: Lehman Brothers called on Sard shortly after the firm’s September bankruptcy, and he has worked with Fuld since then. Sard charges as much as $800 an hour if a client is embroiled in a severe crisis. He also bills for transportation and hours in transit.
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Star Client: Hank Greenberg
The bio: Schwartz has a background in politics and journalism—he was an adviser to Rudy Giuliani and edited the editorial page at the New York Daily News. He represented Carl Icahn during Icahn’s 2005 proxy battle to break up Time Warner.
Reaching out: Schwartz has been representing former AIG chief executive Hank Greenberg since 2005, when he called Greenberg’s lawyer, Ken Bialkin, and expressed disgust at how Greenberg had been treated by the media. Bialkin introduced the two, and Greenberg hired Schwartz.
Eric Starkman, President, Starkman & AssociatesStar Clients: Stan O’Neal; Shana Madoff; her husband, Eric Swanson
The bio: Starkman worked with Richard Grasso, former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, for four years after Grasso was dismissed with a $139.5 million retirement package.
Reaching out: In O’Neal’s last days at Merrill Lynch, the bank’s communications team hired Owen Blicksilver to represent the troubled CEO. But O’Neal switched to Starkman after being introduced by a mutual friend. Shana Madoff, Bernie Madoff’s niece, began working with Starkman in December.
Ken Sunshine, President, Sunshine Sachs & AssociatesStar Client: John Thain
The bio: Sunshine is best known for representing celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, but he’s also informally advised Hillary Clinton.
Reaching out: Thain, Merrill Lynch’s former chief executive, called Sunshine shortly after being ousted from Bank of America in January. Since then, Sunshine advised Thain on a memo he wrote to Merrill Lynch employees explaining that he would repay the bank the $1.2 million he spent decorating his office. Sunshine also helped another of his clients, Maria Bartiromo, nab the first interview with Thain after his ouster.
