As a criminal defence lawyer, Solomon Friedman is used to clients with unsavoury pasts and uncertain futures. Accused killers, sex offenders, even an Islamic State recruiter have turned to him for help. His newest client is no less challenging to defend—if not in a court of law, then in the court of public opinion.
Friedman and his associates in a Canadian private equity firm called Ethical Capital Partners completed the acquisition this year of MindGeek, the troubled company that runs Pornhub.com, the world’s best-known adult website, and affiliated sites such as Brazzers.com, Men.com, and Transangels.com. Heading up a venture based on hard-core titles like “My best friend’s mom turned out to be a very hospitable MILF” was an unexpected career twist for someone who once went to Israel to become a rabbi. “Those rabbinical studies shaped my analytical approach. And also, I think, a search for meaning in everything we do,” says Friedman.
