Attorney’s the artist of the deal
DONALD Trump was always “outrageous,” but he didn’t always win, according to Martin Lon
don, the former chairman of Paul, Weiss who beat Trump in court in 1985.
The Brooklyn-born lawyer spills in his new memoir, “The Client Decides,” about how the future president was battling the tenants at 100 Central Park South, who were trying to stop him from razing the building so he could put up a gleaming new tower.
Trump sued the tenants’ lawyers, including Rick
Fischbein, for $105 million under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law usually used against organized crime.
Martin defended Fischbein, had the “frivolous” case dismissed and went after Trump for his legal fees.
“Fischbein framed a copy of the check from Trump [for $157,000] and hung it on his office wall,” the book states. (Fischbein later became Trump’s own lawyer.)
“We worked day and night, and you know I’m not cheap,” London, who cashed the original check, told me. Trump gave up on razing the building. In 1998, he turned it into the Trump Parc East condominiums and the tenants were allowed to stay.
“Bullying sometimes doesn’t work,” London said.
London also tells how he represented Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (inset) in her case against paparazzo Ron
Galella, and how he headed the disciplinary committee that disbarred Roy Cohn.