Cristiano Ronaldo has hired the attorney David Chesnoff, who has built a reputation as a ‘lawyer to the stars’, after police in the United States this week re-opened an investigation into rape allegations against the 33-year-old.

The criminal defence lawyer has previously represented famous figures such as Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Tyson, André Agassi, Bruno Mars, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton and Jamie Foxx, and members of Michael Jackon’s family.

Based in Las Vegas at his Chesnoff & Schonfeld law firm, he is also a specialist in libel law, and is viewed internationally as one of the top lawyers in his field.

Chesnoff has not wasted any time. Immediately after he was taken on by Ronaldo on Wednesday, the Juventus footballer issued a statement strenuously denying the accusations of Kathryn Mayorga, 34, who claims that the Portuguese raped her in a hotel room in Las Vegas in June 2009.

Culled from AS