Drew Findling Biography: A Billion Dollar Lawyer And The Rapper’s Favorite
Drew Findling Biography. Image Source: Instagram
- Full Name Drew Findling
- Age 64 yrs
- Birth Date December 22, 1959
- Country America
- Relationship Status Married
- Spouse Beth Kaplan Findling
- Nationality American
- Ethnicity White
- Profession Criminal Defense Lawyer
- Children Sam Findling McFoy, Zack Findling, Maddie Findling
- Awards and honors 2018 Hollywood's Top 20 Troubleshooters
- Education Juris Degree, Emory University School
From sitting through many trials in the courtroom to becoming one of the most sought-after defense attorneys, Drew Findling established his name as a brand. An enviable lawyer who provides a holistic approach to criminal defense, Findling has a reputation for being savvy as well as a mastermind prosecutor.
Numerous times, a defendant may feel like the cards are stacked against them because of their circumstances or past. The high-profile cases provide obstacles for both defendants and criminal defense attorneys, but the Atlanta-based attorney can manage them with ease.
Dear readers, if you want to know how lawyers like Findling defend the U.S. judicial system and their amendments, please read Drew Findling biography till the end. Also, find out why famous rappers call Findling their guardian angel.
Early Life and Education
Drew Findling was born in December 1959 in Long Island, New York, and was raised by a single mother. Later he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, for college. Findling graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe University in 1981. Similarly, he received his Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law in 1984.
Afterward, Drew joined the Georgia Bar and spent three years at a Fulton County public defender’s office. During that time, he was the first attorney in the U.S. to successfully present a Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) defense based only on verbal abuse. For the information, BWS is a psychological trauma that results from years of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.
After a few years at Fulton, the public defender founded his own company called, The Findling Law Firm in 1987.
Longtime Girlfriend Turned Wife: Married Life of Nearly 4 Decades
While he was at the top of his public defending career, Fandling also saw his own case in the romantic dominion. He was in a relationship with his longtime sweetheart. Atlanta’s top defense attorney, Drew Findling’s wife, Beth Kaplan Findling, is a corporate recruiter. She prefers to stay behind the limelight but has played a vital role in supporting her partner’s endeavors while sitting behind the media attention.
Drew Findling’s partner is his college sweetheart. They married in 1986, and as of now, the husband-wife duo has been married for 37 years. The couple has three children, two sons named Sam Findling McFoy and Zack Findling, both of them followed in the footsteps of their father.
Drew and Beth’s third child, daughter Maddie Findling, is a part of her father’s social media team, which now has 234k Instagram followers as of August 2023. Findling often calls his wife and kids left-wing liberals as they support and seek to achieve social equality and unbiasedness.
Legendary Ally of Hip-Hop Hollywood: #BillionDollarLawyer
In the local streets of Atlanta, Drew is known as the witch doctor, a magician, and a god in the streets. Further, the New York Times noted him as the ‘Illest.’ So, how did a local public defender go on to become a billion-dollar lawyer?
The attorney acquired his #BillionDollarLawyer nickname from the Memphis rapper Young Dolph who was visiting him one night. Unfortunately, Dolph died in 2021 from 22 gunshots, but the name billiondollarlawyer stuck around.
Findling’s representations of hip-hop artists began with a guy named Demetrius Flenory (Big Meech). Meech ran a drug-trafficking ring with his brother but also gained a reputation in hip-hop groups for helping to launch the careers of rappers based in Atlanta.
In the early 2000s, Big Meech was charged with a double murder outside an Atlanta club, but Findling threw some big hearings, and the case fell apart. Afterward, a rapper contacted Findling named Radric Davis, who is now globally known as Gucci Mane.
Following his successful representation of Gucci Mane, who pleaded guilty to a gun charge in 2014, Findling’s reputation started to soar in Atlanta’s rap scene. Findling also assisted Migos at a key moment in the group’s downfall. He strongly advocated for Offset (Cardi-B‘s husband and a member of the Hip-Hop group, Migos), who was arrested on marijuana and weapons possession charges at a Deep South college show. (The charges were eventually dropped.)
Findling’s advocation of rappers like Migos and Gucci Mane has successfully proved to be a key ingredient in their success. Therefore, the top-tier lawyer can be seen hanging with every celebrity known in the Hip-Hop community.
Lawyers who’ve worked with Findling say that beyond his ability to connect with juries and clients, another advantage is the way he can press his case with prosecutors who are considering whether or not to file charges. Findling also has represented Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O’Neal, and comedian Katt Williams. In high-profile cases, there are sometimes several charges, complicated legal concerns, and voluminous documentation.
How much is Drew Findling’s Net Worth? Is He Really a Billionaire?
The average salary for lawyers is estimated to be around $127,990 in the U.S. However, Findling, as an individual with a variety of working experience, might earn a six to seven-figure yearly income. The figure value is a general estimation, but Findling, with his four-decade of law career, might have amassed a huge sum of fortune. However, unlike his nickname, the BillionDollarLawyer, Drew Findling’s net worth is not actually in billions.
Although Drew hasn’t officially disclosed it, Drew Findling’s net worth might be in the millions. The average salary range for a criminal defense lawyer is somewhere between $83,577 to $152,725. Moreover, Findling receives numerous gifts and monetary exchanges from his celebrity clients, which increases his financial power.
Career and Achievements: High Profile Clients
Drew Findling’s career as a criminal defense lawyer has spanned many years. He represented a diverse array of clients facing a wide range of criminal charges. From white-collar felonies to drug offenses and more serious criminal allegations, Findling displayed his dedication to protecting his client’s rights and seeking justice on their behalf.
By involving in high-profile cases, Findling provided his most significant contributions to the field of criminal defense. These cases often garner media attention due to their sensitive nature or the prominence of the individuals involved. Findling’s ability to handle such cases with professionalism, extensive knowledge of the law, and persuasive advocacy have earned him respect within the criminal legal community.
Findling has been a go-to criminal defense lawyer for premier criminal defense attorneys. In a string of well-known clients, including Grammy Award Winner Cardi B, Hip Hop artists Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, and the Grammy-nominated group Migos. Do you know Findlinding was present at Gucci Mane’s televised wedding in 2017?
In 2017 Findling won an acquittal for Waka Flocka Flame, who was charged with carrying a concealed weapon into a Georgia airport. Similarly, the lawyer got all charges dropped against Migos member Quavo, who was accused of a fight with Eric Da Jeweler at a Grammy afterparty.
Drew also got Cardi B’s felony assault charges reduced to misdemeanors. In 2018, Cardi B was charged with assault in connection with a fight at a New York City strip club. After four years, in September 2022, she pleaded guilty in a Queen’s court to two misdemeanors.
Drew Findling Biography. Image Source: InstagramAdditionally, Mr. Findling has defended Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett, Morris Brown College President Dolores Cross, and Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill in a highly publicized public corruption trial. In August 2013, for his effort on Sheriff Hill’s case, Mr. Findling received the NAACP’s Civil and Human Rights Award and an appreciation from the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia.
If Hill had been convicted, then he would have been removed from office. The indictment accused Hill of using his office for personal gain, such as using county-paid gas in his county car and using a government credit card. However, Findling was successful in getting Sheriff Hill cleared of all charges in the 37-count indictment, and in May 2016, Findling obtained Davis’ early release from prison.
Furthermore, Drew is known for his active participation in legal education and for sharing his insights with the broader legal community. He has likely been a speaker at legal conferences, workshops, and seminars, where he imparts his knowledge to fellow attorneys, law students, and legal enthusiasts.
Raising Awareness of Issues Like Racism in the Judicial System
Drew believes that hip-hop artists are particularly vulnerable to being arrested. In an interview, he shared that if an African-American artist drives a $350,000 car and flaunts jewelry, there is an assumption that he’s a gang member or he must be a drug dealer. In a 2019 speech when he was president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Findling said that there is a perception that hip hop and rap music are all tied up in violence and drugs.
Drew is like a magician who does magic in the courtroom. Most people in rap and all of that do have some type of past, and they need to get it together; Drew gives them that inspiration to completely change their life.
Drew calls himself a patriot who fights for people and fights for their constitutional rights. One of the best defense lawyers, Drew dedicates a tremendous amount of his time to addressing the issues of mass incarceration and racism in the criminal justice system.
Drew mentions three problems in the criminal business with the criminal justice system: racism, mass incarceration, and the issue of collateral consequences. Similarly, he is popular from West Coast to East Coast, Canadian border to the border of Mexico. Well, if any hip-hop artist is in trouble, he will get a phone call.
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Can Drew Findling Save Donald Trump as His Defense Lawyer?
Atlanta’s top defense attorney, Drew Findling, is representing Donald Trump as he faces a grand jury investigation in Georgia. Findling has done hundreds of cases, ranging from violent crimes to political corruption. Findling represented high-profile clients in criminal and civil cases across the nation. However, Trump’s case is appearing as one of the most complex challenges of his decades-long legal career.
In August 2022, Trump hired Findling to represent him in the case of criminal inquiry of election interference. But why did a former U.S. president hire rappers’ favorite attorney?
The case started in 2021 when the Fulton County District’s attorney, named Fani Willis, began an investigation into whether Trump and his allies broke any laws as they tried to overturn his narrow election loss in Atlanta, Georgia. Willis has since then tried to indict Trump and his associates, and as per reports, the former president could face charges covering election crimes.
Further, in July 2023, Georgia’s highest court rejected Trump’s request to block a district attorney from prosecuting him for his actions. Well, it seems Donald Trump and his more than 17 associates might get indicted for trying to overturn the Georgia presidential election in 2020. Even though Findling is representing Trump as his client, he once criticized Trump during his time in the White House, calling him “racist” and “pathetic” in a tweet.
Well, we have to see whether Findling’s range of criminal defense work will save Mr. Trump in the near future. Recently, Findling made a rare tv show appearance, and it didn’t go well. The MSNBC host Ari Melber left Drew sputtering and stumbling after being asked if his client Donald Trump was the leader in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.
The Findling Firm PC
Since 1987, the federal state defense lawyer has been serving as the founding partner of The Findling Law Firm, PLC. in Atlanta. His firm is currently representing former president Donald Trump in one of the highest-profile cases in the country.
Based in Atlanta, the former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers successfully represents numerous clients, including politicians, real estate developers, Hip-Hop artists, singers, rappers, NBA players, etc.
Findling’s firm exclusively handles federal and state criminal defense. The firm has tried cases in state and federal courts across the country involving everything from serious violent felonies to complex white-collar crimes, as well as cases involving international issues.
Findling’s legacy resides in his contributions to the legal field, his notable cases, and his advocacy for the rights of individuals accused of crimes. His dedication to his client’s well-being and his commitment to the principles of justice have likely earned him a respected place within the legal community.
Legal Philosophy and Approach: Awards
Findling’s actions as a criminal defense lawyer speak to his commitment to upholding the principles of justice and due process. Criminal defense attorneys like Findling often work tirelessly to ensure that their clients receive fair trials, access to legal representation, and protection of their rights under the law.
For his criminal defense skills, Findling has been recognized by several prestigious organizations. The Hollywood Reporter named Findling one of “Hollywood’s Top 20 Troubleshooters” in 2018, alongside another renowned criminal attorney, Benjamin Brafman, and top divorce lawyer, Dan Rottenstreich. The same year, Findling was recognized as one of “Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players.”
Drew Findling has also been named one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite“ in Georgia Trend Magazine. Similarly, he appeared on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s list of ‘Top Lawyers in Georgia” and was named a Georgia “Super Lawyer” by Atlanta Magazine. Meanwhile, several magazines and publications have noted Findling as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the realm of criminal conviction.
In conclusion, Drew Findling is a steadfast guardian of judicial rights, and in his court’s arena, justice, and judgment stand the resolute figure, and Drew Findling’s biography is proof of it.
Rankin, B. (2022, August 11). Trump hires Atlanta attorney Drew Findling to represent him in Fulton County grand jury probe. Spokesman.com.
Purvis, B. (2023, August 2). US rating cut to AA+ from AAA by Fitch. Bloomberg.com.
Ga. sheriff found not guilty in racketeering trial | AP News. (2021, August 14). AP News.
Coscarelli, J. (2022, September 15). Cardi B pleads guilty to two misdemeanors in 2018 strip club attacks. The New York Times.
Coscarelli, J. (2018, February 8). Atlanta’s #BillionDollarLawyer is looking out for your favorite rappers. The New York Times.
Hakim, D., & Fausset, R. (2022, August 11). Trump Hires Lawyer Drew Findling For Atlanta Probe. The New York Times.
Trump lawyer confronted with ‘smoking gun’ evidence. (2023, March 22). [Video]. MSNBC.com.
Associated Press. (2023, July 18). Georgia’s top court rejects Trump’s attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 Election investigation. Spectrum News NY1.
Feinberg, A. (2023, March 22). Trump’s ‘billion-dollar lawyer’ Drew Findling left sputtering when asked if ex-president won Georgia 2020. The Independent.
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