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It could be argued that celebrities, with their status, fame, and big bank accounts, need attorneys more than anyone. When someone comes after a star, they hold nothing back.

Take the recent case with Beyoncé, for example.

The estate of deceased YouTube star Messy Mya attempted to sue Beyoncé for using 10-second clips from some of her videos. How much did Messy Mya's team want for those 10 seconds?

A cool $20 million.

Luckily, with the help of celebrity lawyer Mary Ellen Roy, a motion to dismiss was granted under the fair use doctrine. Without this legal assistance, Beyoncé would have been $20 million poorer - and a potentially easy target for other suits.

Many celebrity lawyers build a reputation for themselves and try handfuls of high-profile court cases. Check out these big names to see if you recognize any of these powerful legal aides.

Martin Garbus

Martin Garbus earned himself a nickname from The New York Times that perfectly conveys his niche: "A Defender of the Controversial."

He's been on the case for many a celebrity, including:

  • Nelson Mandela

  • Spike Lee

  • Al Pacino

  • Cesar Chavez

  • Annie Leibovitz

Plus, a handful of other big names.

He's known in the legal world as a First Amendment advocate, which is crucial to many celebrity cases, as it's an easy argument to make.

Mark Geragos

Mark Geragos has been in the news often with his high-profile caseload.

He represented Winona Ryder after her notorious shoplifting stunt. He defended Michael Jackson for his molestation charges. He even received a phone call from one Chris Brown after photos of Rhianna appeared.

One of his more recent cases involved Jussie Smollett, an actor who faked a hate crime. This case was considered victorious, as the prosecutors decided to drop charges.

Recently, however, Geragos has been on the opposite side of the law.

He and another litigator are currently being accused of trying to extort money from an even bigger name, Nike. As a lawyer with a lot to say, Geragos was suspiciously quiet about the suit. Geragos might need to learn about our attorneys in case he needs his own help in court.

Howard K. Stern

Not to be confused with radio host Howard Stern, Howard K. Stern is a California attorney best-known for being involved in a case with Anna Nicole Smith.

Smith sued for the estate of her deceased husband, and Stern represented her. In a strange twist of events, though, he began appearing on her E! reality show shortly after. Then, months before Smith died of a drug overdose, she and Stern performed a nonbinding commitment ceremony.

Stern was in the news after it came to light that he used fake names on Smith's prescriptions. That case was eventually dropped in 2015.

Now, you can find Stern practicing as a deputy public defender for L.A. county.

Do You Recognize These Celebrity Lawyers?

One thing's for sure: significant cases like these need high-profile names to attend to them.

These celebrity lawyers have become celebrities in their own right by mingling with the money makers, the stars, the people in the spotlight.

For more entertaining news like this, take a look at the rest of our blog!