Roy Black[1] (born February 17, 1945 in New York City) is a civil and criminal defense trial attorney. He is best known for his gaining an acquittal, in 1991, of William Kennedy Smith on charges of rape and for his representation of conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh on charges related to Limbaugh's alleged misuse of the prescription painkiller OxyContin. Black also has represented other prominent members of American society, including actor Kelsey Grammer, racer Helio Castroneves, Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis, artist Peter Max.[2], and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein [3]
In addition to his legal work, Black provides legal commentary for various NBC news shows and played the "managing partner" of The Law Firm,[4] a short-lived reality-based TV show pitting lawyers against each other week-to-week in a legal version of The Apprentice.
Black holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, graduating in 1967, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. While attending UM, Black was a member of the Zeta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Tau Omega. Following his 1970 graduation, he received the highest possible score on the Florida Bar Exam.
Currently a partner in Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, a Miami-based trial firm specializing in civil litigation and criminal defense, Black also serves as an adjunct instructor of criminal evidence at the University of Miami School of Law.[5]
In 1994, Roy Black married Lisa Lea Haller, who was a juror in the William Kennedy Smith trial and is currently appearing on The Real Housewives of Miami. They met the night of the verdict and began dating several months after the acquittal of Kennedy Smith.[6]