Former attorney Michael Avenatti on Thursday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to throw out his conviction for extortion and honest-services fraud in a case involving his client’s negotiation with the sports apparel and equipment giant Nike Inc.

Avenatti, whose high-flying practice was based in Southern California, was found guilty in 2020 and sentenced to two and a half years in prison after allegedly demanding that Nike pay him between $15 million and $25 million to lead an internal investigation into Nike’s alleged payments to the families of high school basketball players.