‘The Defenders’ based on Vegas law firm Cristalli & Saggese
Two well-known Las Vegas attorneys have taken the term "networking" to the extreme.
Jim Belushi as Nick Morelli as Michael Cristalli. Jerry O'Connell as Pete Kaczmarek as Marc Saggese.
Meet "The Defenders," the latest television series based on Las Vegas, this one featuring real-life attorneys Michael Cristalli and Marc Saggese.
According to CBS, "The Defenders" is "an irreverent new legal drama about two fiery and charismatic Las Vegas defense attorneys. Tenacious, defiant and completely engaging, they argue the law, and they follow the law, but they always keep a few tricks up their sleeves. No matter what the odds, these lawyers keep fighting for the little guy."
"The Defenders" is not loosely based on the real life legal exploits of Cristalli & Seggese. "Loosely is the wrong term," said Saggese. "The show is closely based on what we do."
May 22 marked the first time the law partners saw the program's pilot, with Belushi and O'Connell inside Belushi's California home. "It was the four of us together," said Saggese. He said several characters are based on real people, but concedes "liberties were taken." Cristalli's character, for example, is separated from his wife in the show, but the couple is "very much in love" in real life.
This week the pair will meet with the show's writing team to discuss episode two. Saggese said the plan is to produce nine episodes in 2010. The content will reflect real cases. "I have a couple in mind," Saggese said. "One is very dramatic; we have injustices and we have one where a horrible wrong is righted."
While Cristalli & Saggese practice criminal defense, Saggese said that area represents only 50 percent of their overall practice. "The other half if civil," he said, "it's just that most of the time we're in court for defense cases because criminal cases tend to settle a lot faster than civil cases do."
Saggese said he and his partner intend to fully capitalize on the exposure provided by the show. "This is an opportunity of the rarest order," he said. "We plan on advertising. It would be foolish if we just sat by."
The first episode airs the last week of September, and is part of CBS' fall lineup for Wednesday.
Watch a trailer.
