In a characteristically unorthodox move, President Donald Trump is reportedly poised to tap New York commercial litigator Marc Kasowitz to lead his personal legal team amid probes into his campaign's alleged contacts with Russia.

Far from an established, Washington, D.C., white-collar figure, Kasowitz is best known for handling a mix of complex, high-stakes civil disputes in New York's state courts, particularly involving financial institutions. He and his firm, Kasowitz Benson Torres, brought billions of dollars in claims against Wall Street banks in the wake of the subprime crisis.

But Kasowitz has also been a loyal attorney for Trump and his interests for close to two decades, in matters ranging from defamation to debt restructuring for Atlantic City casinos. Former Kasowitz Benson name partner David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Israel this year, was also a longtime Trump adviser.