Alex Spiro, a prominent attorney with a roster of celebrity clients, has expanded his professional interests by joining the board of Marti Technologies, a Turkish transportation company. Spiro was elected as a director at the company's 2024 annual shareholder meeting, a development that coincides with his role representing New York Mayor Eric Adams in a major federal corruption case. Marti Technologies operates an app in Istanbul that connects users to various transportation options, including taxis and electric scooters.
As Spiro takes on this new role with the transportation app, he remains in the midst of legal defense for Mayor Adams, who faces allegations that have extended their tendrils through the highest offices of New York's civic landscape. Mayor Adams is embroiled in a case alleging he accepted bribes from Turkish nationals to influence city procedures in favor of a project known as the Turkish House, a new consulate in Manhattan; however, these events seem to find no reflection in the confidence shown in Spiro's appointment.
In a press release noted by Gothamist, Spiro, who's a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, expressed his anticipation at supporting the leadership team of Marti Technologies, remarking, "I am pleased to support them and the company as we reach scale and achieve profitability in 2025." This sentiment mirrors his reputation for navigating high-stakes arenas with elite figures, from Brooklyn rappers to tech magnates, as he prepares to usher the company into its next phase of growth.
Accusations against Adams, detailed in the indictment unsealed by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, include accepting over $100,000 in flight and hotel upgrades, as well as pressuring FDNY officials over the consulate’s fire inspection status. As part of the case, Turkish-born businessman Erden Arkan has intended to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge linked to the investigation, a detail also emphasized in a New York Post report. Despite these pressures, Adams has denied the allegations and, with the support of Spiro, intends to counter the charges in court.
Marti Technologies observed no hesitation in welcoming Spiro aboard, praising his wealth of experience. The uproar surrounding Adams did not echo in the words of Marti's CEO, Oguz Alper Oktem, who, in a statement obtained by Gothamist, heralded Spiro’s experience "with a broad range of clients across the fields of business and politics in the U.S., and, most notably, with leading global technology entrepreneurs," as grounds for his confidence in Spiro's future contributions to the company. In contrast to the intensity of the courtroom, the boardroom of Marti Technologies offers Spiro a role centered on executive decision-making and strategy.
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