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The involvement of Sullivan & Cromwell in the appeal of President Trump’s criminal conviction underscored how New York’s legal power players have moved toward Mr. Trump.
Jan. 29, 2025, 1:34 p.m. ET
A lawyer from one of Manhattan’s most prominent law firms will lead the appeal of President Trump’s criminal conviction, according to court papers filed on Wednesday that formally announced the appeal.
The participation of the lawyer, Robert Giuffra Jr., a co-chair of Sullivan & Cromwell and one of New York’s better-known appellate lawyers, adds muscle behind Mr. Trump’s long-anticipated attempt to overturn his conviction. He was found guilty last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Mr. Giuffra’s involvement underscores how New York’s legal power players have warmed to the president. Mr. Trump was spurned by lawyers from major firms when he left office four years ago, but his second victory has brought about a sea change. Many large corporations and business leaders have lined up to support the second Trump administration.
“President Donald J. Trump’s appeal is important for the rule of law, New York’s reputation as a global business, financial and legal center, as well as for the presidency and all public officials,” Mr. Giuffra said in a statement. “The misuse of the criminal law by the Manhattan D.A. to target President Trump sets a dangerous precedent.”
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, declined to comment.
In a seven-week trial last spring, the district attorney’s office persuaded a jury that the president had approved the falsification of records to disguise a scheme to hide three potentially damaging stories from the public during his first White House run in 2016.
To conceal the last of those stories, prosecutors argued, Mr. Trump dispatched his fixer at the time, Michael D. Cohen, to pay hush money to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who told the jury her story of sex with Mr. Trump.
