Bill Cosby, after being deposed by attorney Gloria Allred about allegations he molested her client at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15, has dropped a Hollywood attorney in favor of a downtown Los Angeles firm.
In court papers filed last week, Cosby replaced Martin D. Singer, whose clients have included former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in favor of Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a firm known for aggressively defending its clients and for employing many former federal prosecutors, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. Tayback is a former Los Angeles County and federal prosecutor and son of the late TV actor Vic Tayback.
Singer was defending Cosby in a lawsuit brought by Judy Huth, who alleges Cosby molested her in 1974 at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15. Allred, who is Huth’s attorney, deposed Cosby on Oct. 9 and later said she would seek a second deposition.
Singer has strenuously defended Cosby, accusing some of the alleged victims of making up their stories. He could not persuade a judge to dismiss the Huth suit.
Singer said he could not explain the split with Cosby because it was an attorney-client privilege matter. He said he agreed to a substitute of attorney and signed the court papers.
Reacting to the change in attorneys, Allred said that “Mr. Cosby has decided to hire 700 lawyers to fight one woman” but “this change will not impact our vigorous advocacy” on Huth’s behalf.
Cosby is accused of sexually molesting or abusing about 50 women over four decades, with many alleging the comedian drugged them before nonconsensual sex acts. Allred represents 26 plaintiffs.
—City News Service