Prince Andrew is said to have instructed two top Hollywood lawyers to look into the possibility of overturning the out-of-court settlement he reached with his accuser Virginia Giuffre last February. Among them is Blair Berk, dubbed the “Rottweiler” by anonymous colleagues.
The lead attorney said she’s never seen anyone call her that to the face, but it was “fun” to hear it.
She previously said, “I don’t know how the tabloids picked this up or made it up, but it was incredibly funny to hear someone call me a dog. »
Among her high-profile clients, Ms Berk counts disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of rape and sexual assault in December, and has also represented a number of celebrities, including actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Reese Witherspoon.
Andrew Brettler, with whom Ms Berk recently set up a law firm in Los Angeles, is also said to have been asked by the Duke of York to look into the possibility of canceling the agreement concluded a year ago.
Among his clients, Mr. Brettler has represented actors Armie Hammer and Chris Noth.
Allegations that Prince Andrew is exploring options to cancel his deal with Ms Giuffre emerged earlier this month.
To do this, the Duke of York would have to file a “motion to set aside the stipulation of the agreement” and prove that there was error, accident, fraud or duress.
Ms Giuffre has launched a civil lawsuit in New York against Prince Andrew in the summer of 2021, in which she accuses the royal of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 and being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein .
The Duke of York has vehemently and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and in an interview with Newsnight from November 2019 he said he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre.
During this now notorious interview with Emily Maitlis, the Queen’s middle son opened up about his association with convicted sex offender Epstein.
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He was hit with backlash after many commentators and viewers felt he failed to show sympathy for the victims of the disgraced financier.
As a result, Andrew announced he was temporarily stepping back from his public duties and has since not carried out any royal engagements or used his HRH style in an official capacity.
In January last year, after it emerged that New York Judge Lewis A. Kaplan had not granted a request by the Duke’s lawyers to dismiss Ms Giuffre’s case, the Duke also returned her royal and military patronages to the late Queen.
Weeks later, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre which would include Andrew paying an undisclosed sum and a one-year gag clause for the Duke and his accuser.
This settlement did not represent an admission of liability on Andrew’s part.
He is believed to have been inspired to launch a new legal action after Ms Giuffre dropped her libel suit against US lawyer and professor Alan Dershowitz in November, saying she ‘may have made a mistake identifying her as one of the men Epstein had sold her to.
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Mr. Dershowitz, who had launched a legal action against the now abandoned Ms. Giuffre, has always vehemently denied the allegations made against him.
Mr Dershowitz told the Telegraph he believed it was a “mistake” on Andrew’s part not to bring a civil suit against him.
The high-profile lawyer said: “I never understood why he agreed to the arrangement.
“There were many, many good defenses he could have raised. I thought from the start, as soon as the deal was made, that it was a mistake to do so.
“He should pursue all legal remedies and the media should thoroughly investigate all allegations, as this is only the tip of the iceberg. »
