Ousted PR attack dog Brian Lewis has laid low in the month since Fox News president Roger Ailes ejected him from the channel after accusing Lewis of “financial irregularities” and “multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract.” He has spoken on the record just once — to rebut Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman’s account of Lewis calling Bill O’Reilly a “chucklehead.” Now he’s lawyering up. According to a source familiar with his legal situation, Lewis has retained Manhattan entertainment lawyer Judd Burstein, whose online list of clients includes past clients Donald Trump and the Backstreet Boys and present ones Oscar de la Hoya and Donny Deutsch.

The still-quiet battle between Lewis and his former employer is likely to escalate, given the stakes Roger Ailes places on the channel’s (and his own) reputation, and the role Brian Lewis played in managing both. With Sherman’s book scheduled for early 2014, Lewis and Ailes probably feel pushed to make an example out of the other.

Neither Burstein nor Lewis were available to comment for the record.

Update, 12:13 PM: Judd Burstein has confirmed to Gawker that Brian Lewis retained him. He declined to comment.

Update, 12:48 PM: Burstein requested that Gawker clarify in the top graf that Burstein does not currently represent Donald Trump, who recently criticized Gabriel Sherman’s account of speaking with Lewis:

[Image via Fox News]

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