Alan Reed is a lawyer who represented Anna as she tried to secure a loan to start the Anna Delvey Foundation.
History[]
Meeting Anna[]
One day, Alan went to the Varsity Club to play squash with his friend, John Ellis. As they played, John said he wanted to connect Alan with a German heirless looking to open an exclusive club. He wanted to split credit if anything came of it.
Soon afterward, Alan met Anna Delvey, who showed him her business plan for Anna Delvey Foundation. She was insistent that she knew what she was doing, but all her money was in Germany and she needed money in the US to get things started. Alan questioned her lack of prior business experience and capital, saying it would be difficult to get support from a bank without those things. He said he couldn't help her.
The next morning, Anna greeted Alan as he arrived at work, answering all the questions she'd been unable to answer the day before. He rejected her again, saying that wasn't how he did business and it was concerning that she didn't understand that.
This didn't deter Anna, who showed up another time in Alan's office, saying she was being rejected for how she looked. She knew if she looked different or if she were a man, she wouldn't have so much trouble. He allowed her to pitch her business plan to him. Then he told her all the things he needed to get started and she said she'd have Peter Hennecke, who handled her business, send it all. She then invited him to a party, saying her advisors would be there and he could meet them.
Alan attended the party, where he was surprised to see how many contacts Anna had in business. He mingled around the party, taking to the other attendees. When Anna toasted, David Morrison told him Anna was special and ADF could be a big deal for them, which Alan agreed with.
After the party, Alan got started on Anna's application, talking to Peter on the phone about Anna's trust fund and having him send over documentation of her wealth. He checked the box on the application that declared that Anna had enough money to pay for his services.
Over time, Alan billed 155 hours to Anna's account, continuing to work for her even though she hadn't paid his retainer. Anna became frustrated at the lack of progress, saying she'd given him everything he asked for. He reassured her, saying it would happen. The conversation turned to Alan's daughter, who wasn't doing anything with her life. Anna said her father had cut her off once before. It made her mad but then it forced her to stand on her own two feet and take care of herself.
Alan continued to work on securing Anna a loan, but his progress was delayed by all the paperwork Alan needed from Peter. Remembering what Anna said, Alan and his wife met up with their daughter and told her they would be cutting her off if she didn't commit to something. This also led to a rekindled romance with his wife.
At another game of squash with John, Alan thanked him for the recommendation and he admitted that he didn't really know Anna and had only met her once at a party.
Anna became upset at the continued delays and pressured Alan to get things done for her so she wouldn't lose 281 Park. He told her to park Fortress for the time being and focus on City National Bank. In turn, she offered him a spot on her board. When Reggie Walsh from CNB said they wouldn't proceed with her application due to the vague documentation she'd provided, Anna went to Alan and asked him what to do next. Alan told her to trust him and he'd handle it.
Alan talked to Reggie and told him he needed to make things right with Anna. Reggie started an overdraft facility of $200,000 for Anna to be available immediately as a gesture of good faith.[1]
Despite this, Anna was still frustrated at the lack of progress. She became desperate not to lose the building she wanted. Alan told her to focus on securing the lease.[2]
When Anna was arrested and her fraud was revealed, Alan received a promotion at work, but faced social consequences for helping her, such as no longer getting the first court when he played squash.[3]
Anna's Desperation[]
While she was in Morocco, Alan called Anna two tell her Fortress needed more time to do due diligence before approving her loan. Later, she texted him and he said they should know by that evening. The next time she talked to him, he told her that Fortress had approved the loan, but they are sending someone to Germany in person to verify her assets. After that, she'd have access to the money and could start work on ADF.[4]
Talking to Vivian[]
Later, after Anna was arrested and her fraud was revealed, Vivian came to Alan to interview him. He refused to speak to her. Later, she went back to him and asked if he knew that Peter Hennecke wasn't real and was actually just Anna using a voice changer app and another app that made it look like she was calling from Germany.[5]
Vivian's Article[]
When Vivian's article came out, Alan watched the news reports about Anna and the article.[6]
Anna's Trial[]
Alan testified in Anna's trial, saying Anna never paid him for his services and he was never able to get her any money.[7]
Relationships[]
Romantic[]
He is married to Sherry Reed. When they first moved to New York, they lived in a walk-up on Christopher Street. Prior to him meeting Anna, they led mostly separate, monotonous lives, to the point where it startled her when he kissed her good morning. His continued acquaintance with Anna led to them becoming closer again, to the point where he ignored his morning alarm while going down on her.[8]
Familial[]
He and Sherry have one daughter, Julia. She dropped out of school and called her dad for more money because she'd maxed out her card for the month. He agreed, but said they needed to talk about what was next for her. Soon after this, she met with both her parents and they said they'd be cutting her off if she couldn't commit to something.[9]
Career[]
He's a Wall Street lawyer at Ellis Reed.
Notes and Trivia[]
- He bought a painting for his office on Anna's recommendation.[10]
- He and his wife once went on safari in Kenya.[11]
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Episode Stills[]
Appearances[]
| Inventing Anna | |||||
| #01 | "Life of a VIP" | #04 | "A Wolf in Chic Clothing" | #07 | "Cash on Delivery" |
| #02 | "The Devil Wore Anna" | #05 | "Check Out Time" | #08 | "Too Rich for Her Blood" |
| #03 | "Two Birds, One Throne" | #06 | "Friends in Low Places" | #09 | "Dangerously Close" |