Who is the ‘MVP’ lawyer who helped Diddy and Lil Durk beat charges carrying life sentences?
A remarkable record in three of hip-hop’s biggest legal battles has turned one defense attorney into an unlikely fan favorite
B rian Steel has helped three major rappers avoid the worst possible outcomes in cases that threatened their freedom . In Diddy’s case , the music mogul was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
Steel had already helped Young Thug leave jail following the lengthy YSL racketeering trial. His latest client, Lil Durk , was then found not guilty on all counts in a federal murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles.
The result produced an unusual scene outside the courthouse on Friday night. Fans surrounded Steel and repeatedly chanted “MVP” as the attorney walked through the crowd following the verdict.
Who is Brian Steel, the ‘MVP’ lawyer?
Brian Steel is a 61-year-old criminal defense attorney born in Queens, New York . He received a business degree from the University of Michigan in 1987 before earning his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1990.
Steel began working as an assistant public defender in Fulton County, Georgia, in 1991. After spending several years at another private firm, he founded The Steel Law Firm in Atlanta with his wife and fellow attorney, Colette Resnick Steel.
He has spent more than three decades defending people accused of serious state and federal crimes, including murder, racketeering, armed robbery, money laundering and drug offenses. His official biography credits him with approximately 300 published appellate opinions and around 45 reversals of previous court decisions.
Steel has been selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer every year since 2004 and was included on Billboard’s list of top music lawyers in 2023. He was also named to Forbes’ 2025 list of America’s Best-In-State Lawyers. His growing profile in hip-hop became so recognizable that Drake and PartyNextDoor released a song titled “Brian Steel” in 2025.
His most controversial courtroom moment came during the Young Thug trial. In June 2024, Judge Ural Glanville held Steel in contempt after the lawyer refused to reveal how he learned about a private meeting involving the judge, prosecutors and a witness. Steel was ordered to spend 10 weekends in jail, although the sentence was paused and the Georgia Supreme Court later overturned the contempt ruling.
There is no verified public information about Steel’s net worth, annual income or how much Diddy, Young Thug and Lil Durk paid him . As a private defense attorney and partner in his own firm, his earnings come from client fees, but the amounts involved in these cases have not been disclosed.
Steel joined Diddy’s legal team before the music mogul’s 2025 federal trial. Diddy was ultimately acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two sex-trafficking charges , the most serious accusations he faced. He was convicted on two lesser counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and later received a 50-month prison sentence and a $500,000 fine.
In Young Thug’s case, Steel served as the rapper’s lead attorney throughout Georgia’s longest criminal trial. Young Thug eventually pleaded guilty to several gang, drug and gun charges and entered no-contest pleas to others. However, he avoided the lengthy immediate prison term requested by prosecutors and was released in October 2024 after spending more than two years in custody. He remains under strict probation conditions.
Lil Durk’s verdict was Steel’s latest major result, but the rapper is not free yet. Although he was acquitted in the murder-for-hire case, he remains in federal custody while awaiting a separate trial involving racketeering, murder and weapons allegations. That proceeding is scheduled to begin on October 5.
The outcomes were not identical: Lil Durk was acquitted, Diddy was convicted of lesser offenses and Young Thug accepted a plea. In all three cases, however, prosecutors failed to obtain their most severe possible result. That record explains why Lil Durk’s supporters did not chant the rapper’s name outside the courthouse. For a few minutes, Brian Steel was their “MVP.”
