(Reuters) - After helping to upend one governor's political career, Arnold & Porter partner Paul Fishman has the chance to help save another's.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive chamber tapped Fishman, the former U.S. attorney in New Jersey who investigated ex-governor's Chris Christie's role in the "Bridgegate" scandal, to take on the New York attorney general's probe of sexual misconduct claims against Cuomo, Arnold & Porter confirmed Thursday.

Cuomo's office has also retained Mitra Hormozi, a partner at Walden Macht & Haran, Arnold & Porter said. Hormozi previously worked as Revlon Inc's general counsel, a Kirkland & Ellis partner and special deputy chief of staff in the New York Attorney General's Office when Cuomo was AG.

She and Fishman enter the fray as New York State Assembly leaders face blowback over Davis Polk & Wardwell's role in its probe, which is separate from New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation, though both stem from multiple women's accusations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo. The governor has denied the allegations.

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday that Davis Polk partners Angela Burgess, Greg Andres and Martine Beamon would lead the Assembly's impeachment investigation of the claims.

Debra Katz - a prominent #MeToo lawyer who represents Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennett - said in a statement that she was "alarmed" by Davis Polk's selection because Cuomo appointed Dennis Glazer, who worked at that law firm for over 30 years, to the board of a state university and appointed his wife Janet DiFiore as chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Another accuser, former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan, raised similar concerns in a Twitter post Thursday.

Glazer said in an email Thursday that he "played no role whatsoever in Davis Polk's selection" and that he didn't even know the firm was being considered for it until he read it in the newspaper. A representative for Davis Polk did not respond to a request for comment.

An Arnold & Porter representative said Thursday that Fishman and Hormozi are just working on the AG's probe - not the Assembly's - and will "facilitate the Executive Chamber's full cooperation, to represent its employees, and to provide access to all information to which the Attorney General's office is entitled."

Arnold & Porter and Davis Polk aren't the only Big Law firms squaring off in the Cuomo scandal.

Earlier this month New York Attorney General Letitia James tapped Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton partner Joon Kim - a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York - and Vladeck, Raskin & Clark employment partner Anne Clark to lead her office's probe.

Cleary partners Jennifer Kennedy Park and Abena Mainoo and Vladeck partner Yannick Grant are also on the team, the AG's office said.

Arnold & Porter said Thursday that Andrew Cuomo's executive chamber has retained its partner Paul Fishman and Walden Macht & Haran's Mitra Hormozi to represent it as New York's attorney general investigates sexual misconduct allegations against the governor.

Fishman, New Jersey's former top prosecutor who investigated that state's former governor Chris Christie over the "Bridgegate" scandal, and ex-Revlon Inc general counsel Hormozi are the latest of several prominent lawyers to join the fight over Cuomo's fate. They enter the fray as New York State Assembly leaders face blowback over Davis Polk & Wardwell's role in its probe, which is running parallel to the state AG's.

On Wednesday, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced Davis Polk partners Angela Burgess, Greg Andres and Martine Beamon would lead the its impeachment investigation into six women's sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo, allegations Cuomo has denied.

Soon after, Debra Katz - a prominent #MeToo lawyer who represents Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennett - said in a statement that she was "alarmed" by Davis Polk's selection because Cuomo appointed Dennis Glazer, who worked at that law firm for over 30 years, to the board of a state university and appointed his wife Janet DiFiore as Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Another accuser, former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan, raised similar concerns in a Twitter post Thursday.

Glazer said in an email Thursday that he "played no role whatsoever in Davis Polk's selection" and that he didn't even know the firm was being considered for it until he read it in the paper. A representative for Davis Polk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fishman and Hormozi did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether they were involved in the Assembly's impeachment investigation of Cuomo.

An Arnold & Porter representative said the duo will "facilitate the Executive Chamber's full cooperation, to represent its employees, and to provide access to all information to which the Attorney General's office is entitled."

In that role they'll square off against other Big Law lawyers.

Earlier this month New York Attorney General Letitia James tapped Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton partner Joon Kim - a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York - and Vladeck, Raskin & Clark employment partner Anne Clark to lead her office's probe.

Cleary partners Jennifer Kennedy Park and Abena Mainoo and Vladeck partner Yannick Grant are also on the team, the AG's office said.

By Caroline Spiezio

March 18 (Reuters) - After helping to upend one governor's political career, Arnold & Porter partner Paul Fishman has the chance to help save another's now that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has tapped him to stave off sexual misconduct claims.

Cuomo has retained Fishman, the former U.S. attorney in New Jersey who investigated ex-governor Chris Christie's role in the "Bridgegate" scandal, and former Revlon Inc. general counsel and Kirkland & Ellis partner Mitra Hormozi, Cuomo's executive chamber said Wednesday. Hormozi is currently a partner at Walden Macht & Haran.

They enter the fray as New York State Assembly leaders face blowback over Davis Polk & Wardwell's role in its probe into the claims against Cuomo, which are also being investigated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday that Davis Polk partners Angela Burgess, Greg Andres and Martine Beamon would lead its impeachment investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo by six women. Cuomo has denied any misconduct.

Debra Katz - a prominent #MeToo lawyer who represents Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennett - said in a statement that she was "alarmed" by Davis Polk's selection because Cuomo appointed Dennis Glazer, who worked at that law firm for over 30 years, to the board of a state university and appointed his wife Janet DiFiore as chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Another accuser, former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan, raised similar concerns in a Twitter post Thursday.

Glazer said in an email Thursday that he "played no role whatsoever in Davis Polk's selection" and that he didn't even know the firm was being considered for it until he read it in the newspaper. A representative for Davis Polk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fishman and Hormozi did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether they were involved in the Assembly's impeachment investigation of Cuomo.

An Arnold & Porter representative said the duo will "facilitate the Executive Chamber's full cooperation, to represent its employees, and to provide access to all information to which the Attorney General's office is entitled."

In that role they'll square off against other Big Law lawyers.

Earlier this month New York Attorney General Letitia James tapped Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton partner Joon Kim - a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York - and Vladeck, Raskin & Clark employment partner Anne Clark to lead her office's probe.

Cleary partners Jennifer Kennedy Park and Abena Mainoo and Vladeck partner Yannick Grant are also on the team, the AG's office said.