(Reuters) - Billionaire investor Leon Black on Friday asked a New York state judge to sanction a law firm that is representing two women who accuse him of rape.
Black, the co-founder of private equity firm Apollo Global Management Inc, said in court filings Friday that "substantial" sanctions against Wigdor are warranted for filing "frivolous, unsubstantiated, and damaging accusations of sexual assault" in two different lawsuits.
Russian model Guzel Ganieva sued Black in June 2021, alleging he abused her sexually and then lied and falsely accused her of extortion when she spoke out. Last month, Virginia resident Cheri Pierson filed a separate lawsuit against Black, claiming he raped her two decades ago in the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan mansion.
Black has denied the allegations. In his requests for sanctions, he said he has shown Wigdor evidence discrediting Ganieva's claims and said Wigdor failed to investigate Pierson's "long record of vexatious litigation."
"Wigdor has relied on false allegations and made-up stories," said Susan Estrich, a lawyer for Black. "Because they have done this across two lawsuits, we think it is appropriate to seek sanctions."
Wigdor partner Jeanne Christensen, who is representing both Ganieva and Pierson, countered that the push for sanctions "shows how pathetically desperate Leon Black is."
Black's bid for sanctions comes on the heels of a failed attempt by Wigdor to disqualify one of the law firms representing him, Perry...
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