The person who stood by Trump through the tough legal battles.

When faced with legal problems, the first name that comes to mind for Donald Trump is lawyer Marc Kasowitz, who has been by his side in numerous lawsuits over the past 15 years.

Attorney Marc Kasowitz. Photo: WSJ

When Donald Trump needed a lawyer to represent him in his toughest legal battles, from defamation cases to disputes over failed business deals, he often relied on attorneys.New YorkMarc Kas, according toWall Street Journal.

In 2006, Trump called Kasowitz to hire him to sue an author who allegedly made false, understated claims about his assets. A year earlier, Trump had also hired Kasowitz to sue partners in a real estate deal. When Trump wanted to sue the New York Times for defamation, Kasowitz was immediately available.

During 15 years of collaboration between Trump andso atHowever, not every lawsuit ends in victory. Kasowitz, who typically charges $1,500 per hour, said he hopes to continue representing the New York tycoon and Trump's companies after he moves into the White House.

"Kasowitz has always been the man you need when dealing with complex, complicated legal issues. I think this relationship will only deepen," said Alan Garten, chief counsel for the Trump Organization.

Kasowitz was respected by clients for his willingness to take on tough cases that other lawyers wouldn't touch, but he was hated by some rivals and former colleagues with differing viewpoints.

Kasowitz, the platinum-haired former basketball player, was cautious when asked about the US president-elect. "Trump is a big client," he said, referring to their relationship.

Aggressive style

Kasowitz is known as a fiercely competitive lawyer. He built the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP, founded in 1993, into a company of 270 lawyers with annual revenues exceeding $200 million.

Other tasks assigned to the 64-year-old lawyer by Trump included keeping his divorce records private from his previous wives and appealing a lawsuit against Trump University for alleged fraud. The lawsuit concluded after Trump agreed to compensate the plaintiffs.

Their relationship was linked to a client that brought Kasowitz nationwide recognition: the Liggett Group tobacco company in North Carolina.

In 1996, when a number of major American tobacco companies refused to pay the states for healthcare costs for people suffering from smoking-related illnesses, Kasowitz and a colleague advised Liggett Group not to follow their lead and to negotiate a payment agreement with the state.

This agreement gave Liggett Group, a smaller competitor in the tobacco industry, the best advantage in the country when the major tobacco companies signed a $206 billion compensation agreement for medical expenses to care for patients with smoking-related illnesses in 46 states two years later.

In 2001, Howard Lorber, chairman and CEO of Vector Group, the parent company of Liggett Group, introduced Trump to David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer and partner with Kasowitz. Friedman was then appointed by Trump as the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Trump hired Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP to assist in restructuring the debt at his Atlantic City casinos. Soon after, the law firm became the legal representative for the Trump Corporation.

The collaboration between Trump andChicken alsoIt has gone through many ups and downs. In 2006,Kasowitz filed a defamation lawsuit on behalf of Trump against journalist Timothy O'Brien, alleging that a book he wrote claimed the New York tycoon's net worth was one billion dollars less than it actually was.

An appeals court in New Jersey dismissed the lawsuit in 2011, upholding a lower court ruling that O'Brien and the publisher acted without malice when they miscalculated Trump's assets.

"We never want to lose a lawsuit. Luckily, we haven't lost many," Kasowitz said.

However, Kasowitz's law firm lost again in the mid-2000s when it represented Trump in a lawsuit against Hong Kong business partners over a disputed property in West Manhattan, New York.

But in 2006, Kasowitz also helped the Trump Organization win a lawsuit filed by board members of directors of Trump World Tower in Manhattan to terminate the building's management contract.

Alan Garten, chief lawyer for the Trump Organization, noted that Kasowitz and his law firm had handled numerous behind-the-scenes issues for Trump on countless occasions over the years.

Thanks to the support of Marc Kasowitz, Donald Trump is always ready to engage in legal battles. Photo: AP

Ready to face the challenge.

Kasowitz grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of a scrap metal businessman. After graduating from Yale University, he enrolled at Cornell Law School in New York. He believes that "a good lawyer is a wise person in the community, someone everyone wants to go to for advice, guidance, and help."

Unlike many firms of similar size, Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP is willing to sue large businesses as well as defend them.

Kasowitz's law firm has sued short sellers on Wall Street, banks, and even other law firms. Last September, the firm accused four of the largest U.S. chemical companies of concealing from authorities the health hazards of their isocyanate-based chemical products. The lawsuit seeks damages and penalties totaling up to $90 billion from these corporations.

"Kasowitz isn't afraid to sue to protect what's right for his clients, even if it offends others," said Paul Rivett, president of Fairfax Financial Holdings, a Canadian insurance company.

Fairfax Financial Holdings hired Kasowitz to sue hedge funds that the company claimed had driven down their stock prices by spreading false rumors. Fairfax lost the case in the initial trial and is awaiting a ruling from the appeals court.

Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP is a place where lawyers aren't afraid to be in the shadow of the founder. Partners say Kasowitz's office door is always open and he's always ready to reward those he respects. Butso atHe also had very little patience for those he didn't think highly of.

Like Trump, Kasowitz spends a lot of time in Florida. He often flies home to Wellington, Florida, on weekends to watch his daughter participate in horse races. Kasowitz was also present at Trump's wedding in 2005 at the Mar-a-Lago resort.

Kasowitz recalled that at a New York horse race a few years ago, co-sponsored by Trump, the real estate billionaire pulled his daughter aside for a chat after a grueling race, even though they were surrounded by a crowd of people vying for the attention of the New York tycoon.

"He was a very warm and loyal person. This side of him wasn't always so prominent."Kasowitz commented.

According to VNE