The Epstein library contained a copy of a May 2016 lawsuit from Caesars/Harrah's creditors against Apollo, TPG, law firm Paul Weiss and numerous other entities.
Paul Weiss was involved in virtually all aspects of almost every asset transfer. Paul Weiss lawyers sat with Apollo and CEC to develop the legal strategy underpinning the removal of assets from CEOC; arranged for the organization of the CEC affiliates needed to receive the assets from CEOC; devised means of removing CEC's guarantees of CEOC's debts; came up with schemes to protect the transferees from the claims of CEOC's creditors; prepared transactional documents; rendered legal advice about the structure, timing, character and execution of the transfers described in this Complaint; determined the legal terms and conditions of the transfers; looked for ways for CEC and the transferees to avoid fraudulent transfer liability; assessed bankruptcy risks; assisted the Sponsors and CEC's efforts to reduce the consideration paid to CEOC in the transactions; advised the boards of CEC and CEOC of their fiduciary duties; handled the closings of the deals; represented CEC in negotiations surrounding the Restructuring Support Agreement to obtain releases of liability from CEOC for CEC, CAC, CERP, CES, Growth Partners, CEC's directors, Apollo, TPG, and Paul Weiss itself; and even drafted the complaint filed by CEC (using another law firm Paul Weiss located) seeking a declaratory judgment that CEC had no liability to CEOC for the fraudulent transfers.
It is difficult to imagine one law firm fulfilling so many roles that were obviously in such conflict. Yet Paul Weiss - possibly because Apollo ranks among its leading clients — had no compunction about doing so. These conflicts were so profound as to be beyond that class of representations where a single law firm, even with informed written consent, could represent competing interests. Paul Weiss chose to represent competing interests in a zero-sum game. Upon information and belief, Paul Weiss was paid tens of millions of dollars for its work for CEC and CEOC.
Pitchbook reported on the September 2016 settlement of this case which cost Apollo and TPG dearly.
Semafor recently reported on law firm Paul Weiss' aggressive pursuit of Apollo's legal business while co-founder Leon Black was in charge.
Black financially sponsored Jeffrey Epstein for "tax advice" and the Epstein Library included documents showing the amount Black spent on Paul Weiss attorneys in 2013 ($1.2 million) and 2014 (just over $750,000).
There is also a curious e-mail from redacted to Epstein regarding Harrah's and that person's interest in doing horizontal refurbishment for the company, now that it was an Apollo affiliate.
A former Trump Atlantic City Casino partner went on to work for Harrah's becoming President and later Chairman. He retired before before Apollo bought Harrah's in 2008 and someone wrote that 2010 redacted email. The Harrah's executive had no desire to cross paths with Trump. In 2015 this gentleman wrote:
In 1985 I filed an affidavit with the court over Trump’s claims of mismanagement: Referring to Trump I said, “His written response to my letter of May 10 is characteristic of the bluster, threats, intemperance and unsupported and unsupportable falsehoods that have permeated the correspondence we have received from him and his key management employees almost since the beginning of our partnership.”
My opinion of Donald Trump from the 1980s has not changed. The negative publicity about Donald Trump during this campaign—his conduct toward women, his business failures and his explosive temperament—matches my dealings with him.
He added in 2025:
“His whole approach during the periods that I was involved with him in a partnership were examples of somebody who talked a lot about himself with a great deal of bombast. And there was no regard to accuracy of what he said or truthfulness. And as a consequence, ultimately, our company could not coexist with him as a partner.”
“I am convinced he simply does not have the temperament to be president, or more importantly, commander in chief: His hair-trigger temper, bluster, racial rhetoric and divisive domestic and international views will endanger our democracy and risk permanent damage to our society.”Well said, sir. I am afraid much more is in store as Trump II disintegrates before our very eyes.
While the reasons for Leon Black’s (Apollo's) and David Bonderman’s (TPG's) change of heart (settling with creditors) may be open for debate, the timing is sure to raise some eyebrows. It came days before Sept. 29, when Apollo’s Marc Rowan, Bonderman and other executives of the funds would have been forced to turn over personal financial records to creditors.
Are we detecting a pattern? Private equity underwriters (PEU) and their hired guns can be on all sides of a deal simultaneously, where secrecy is paramount and they are willing to take far more than their share because it is rightfully theirs.
Who covers for these guys? Politicians Red & Blue love PEU and their brash TechGod brethren. Increasingly more are one.
