John Galliano's Jewish lawyer has been dismissed from the case with just a week before he is due to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing

Mr Galliano, sacked as chief designer for Dior following worldwide controversy over his allegedly racist and antisemitic remarks in a Paris café, is facing charges for public insult.

In the midst of the outcry, it emerged that Mr Galliano's longtime legal adviser was Jewish.

But in an interview with Israel's Ynet soon after the scandal broke Mr Zerbib defended his client and blamed the slurs on alcohol-induced vulnerability. He said what had happened to his client could have happened to anyone and added: "People don't know what really happened."

Mr Zerbib's other clients have included the family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and a group of Israelis accused of spying on Iran.