From Trump to Cardi B: Drew Findling's A-list clientele explored as Lil Durk hires high profile lawyer for his case
Drew Findling, the renowned criminal defense attorney, is going to represent Lil Durk as he starts the trial of his murder-for-hire charges in an LA court next year. Internet personality DJ Akademiks revealed the same, citing court documents.
According to HotNewHipHop, 32-year-old rapper made his first court appearance on Thursday, November 14, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges pressed against him.
The same publication reported that District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald is presiding over the case and will likely sentence the rapper to a maximum sentence of life in prison if the charges against him are proven.
As the 3 Headed Goat rapper awaits his trial, he has been denied bail, with the prosecutors believing him to be a "flight risk". As Findling builds his Durk's case, here's a look at the A-list clientele the attorney has legally represented in the past.
Drew Findling's A-list clientele, explored
Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane, originally named Radric Davis, was the first celebrity who had hired Drew Findling. Mane hired the attorney in 2013 when he was arrested for federal firearm and assault charges following a nightclub incident. According to Vanity Fair, the alleged victim in the case was a soldier, who was also the rapper's fan who wanted a picture with him.
Gucci Mane was struggling with drugs at the time, making it a low point in his life, per the media outlet. Drew Findling helped him negotiate a federal plea deal and later attained an early release for him from prison.
Waka Flocka Flame
Waka Flocka Flame, whose original name is Juaquin James Malphurs, was arrested in October 2014 for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The rapper's trial was scheduled for March 2017, when he was acquitted of all the charges on day four.
Drew Findling, Flame's attorney at the time, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client was found not guilty within 30 minutes of deliberation at the court.
Cardi B
In 2018, Cardi B was charged with strip club assault charges relating to a fight at a NYC strip club. By October, the Bodak Yellow rapper was arrested for an additional 12 charges of assault causing serious injuries.
Cardi B hired Drew Findling for her case, and on his recommendation, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment in 2022. Findling fought to get 10 of the charges against her dropped, and negotiated a deal for his client to avoid a trial and possible jail time, BBC reported.
In the end, the Please Me rapper only had to serve 15 days of community service.
Alvin Kamara
In February 2022, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints was arrested in Las Vegas for charges of battery following a fight outside a nightclub. Kamara, who had hired Drew Findling to represent him, reached a plea agreement for his charges in July 2023. As per NFL website, he was sentenced to 30 hours of community service and a restitution fee of over $100,000 for the victim, Darnell Greene's, medical expenses.
Lil Baby
In August 2024, Lil Baby was arrested in L.A. for charges of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and hired Drew Findling to represent him. Later that month, Findling told Billboard that the rapper, originally named Dominique Jones, possessed a Georgia Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) Permit, and he was "actively investigating the facts" surrounding his arrest.
The same media outlet reported that rapper is currently released from custody after paying a $5,000 bail bond. However, the date for his trial is yet to be announced.
Donald Trump
According to BBC, Drew Findling is a self-identified liberalist and has contributed generously to liberal campaigns over the years - from Willis' run for DA to Joe Biden's bid for president.
However, in August 2022, Findling represented the President in a criminal inquiry into his alleged election interference in Georgia the same year. When asked why he was defending Trump, the attorney likened his decision to John Adams, telling BBC:
"I do not believe that we choose our client or clients based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political belief or the substantive issues involved in the crime," he told the New York Times last year."
Findling continued:
"We have our personal lives and we have our personal politics, and I don't apologise for my personal politics."
The case was put on hold while the Georgia Court of Appeals decided whether to disqualify Fani Willis from the case. A conclusive hearing on the matter is now scheduled for December 2024.
Lil Durk is currently detained in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center, awaiting his trial, which is set to begin on January 7, 2025.