Over the course of several trips to the island, one of which included his 18-year-old son, Donovan gained the confidence of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro. Having earned a reputation for his high-stakes negotiating skills, Donovan was tapped by the Cuban Families Committee to obtain freedom for detained Cubans and Americans imprisoned during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. Donovan subsequently received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal from the Central Intelligence Agency for his work. government and Soviet intelligence, and in early 1962 he was sent to Europe to 'explore the situation.' Following a week of negotiations at the Soviet embassy in East Berlin, Powers and Abel were simultaneously released from custody on the Glienicke Bridge between East and West Germany on February 10, 1962. Due to his relationship with Abel, Donovan became the conduit between the U.S. That foresight proved keen when American jet pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down in the Soviet Union and imprisoned for espionage in 1960. Despite overwhelming evidence against his client, Donovan managed to avoid the death penalty in part by arguing that Abel could prove useful for a prisoner swap should an American of similar rank be captured by the Soviets. In 1957, Donovan accepted a request from the Brooklyn Bar Association to represent Rudolf Abel, a high-ranking Soviet spy who had immersed himself in an artistic community before his arrest for espionage. In 1950, he was a founding partner of the Watters & Donovan Law Firm in New York City's financial district. Returning to private practice, Donovan served as chief counsel in major trials across the United States. Afterward, he was named associate prosecutor of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, where he assembled photographic evidence for use against Nazi officers charged with war crimes. in 1940.ĭonovan worked for the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, attaining the rank of Navy commander.

Originally intending to be a journalist, he instead enrolled at Harvard Law School, earning his LL.B. The younger son of parents John Sr., a prominent surgeon, and Harriet, a concert pianist and teacher, he went on to academic success at the Catholic All Hallows Institute and Fordham University. James Britt Donovan was born on February 29, 1916, in the Bronx, New York. Donovan later convinced Cuban Premier Fidel Castro to release nearly 10,000 prisoners. He defended Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in a 1957 espionage trial, and in 1962 he brokered the exchange of Abel for U.S. Donovan worked for the International Military Tribunal at the end of World War II. Synopsisīorn in 1916 in New York City, lawyer James B. Donovan defended Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in a 1957 espionage trial, and later negotiated the exchange of Abel for American Francis Gary Powers. Above all, Donovan never loses sight of the human side of his cases – he tries to empathize with even his most dissimilar opponent.Lawyer James B. Calm under pressure and always affable, Donovan feels drawn to protect underdogs and he can be remarkably brave when he’s trying to help someone else. And when he can’t, he’s stubborn enough to stand his ground until his opponent changes their mind. Donovan makes an excellent lawyer because he can argue his way out of just about every problem. We call it the Constitution and we agree to the rules and that's what makes us Americans… So don't tell me there's no rulebook.” As he explains to a CIA Agent who wants to bend the rules, “I'm Irish, you're German, but what makes us both Americans? Just one thing: the rulebook. But he believes he must hold fast to his sense of justice in an increasingly murky world. Thrown into a world of secrets, lies, and espionage, Donovan faces constant pressure to compromise. Donovan has a strong sense of right and wrong and a deep belief in fairness and equality. Nevertheless he still finds great comfort in unwinding with his wife and kids.Ĭhallenge. Even worse, James can’t tell his supportive wife Mary about his covert government business. Defending Abel has made Donovan a hated public figure and his family sometimes winds up in the line of fire too. Unfortunately, these high-pressure cases are putting stress on the Donovans. As Donovan notes, “The next mistake our countries make could be the last one.” Later Donovan is recruited for an even more unusual case: negotiating a prisoner trade between the U.S. treats its prisoners well, the government hires Donovan to defend a captured Soviet spy named Rudolf Abel. But Donovan’s latest case is a little out of the ordinary. James is living the perfect 1950s life: he has a stable job, a beautiful home, and a loving family.

James donovan