AceShowbiz - A lawyer for Stan Lee's former business manager has blasted allegations of elder abuse, insisting the charges are all "without merit".

Keya Morgan was charged with five separate counts of elder abuse in Los Angeles on May 10, all linked to an incident from June, 2018, five months before the Marvel legend's death.

At the time, Lee's legal representatives obtained a restraining order against Morgan, accusing him of mishandling millions of the comic book writer's funds, while also suggesting their client had suffered severe physical and emotional injuries because of his associate.

Morgan responded to the protective order by blaming Lee's daughter for leading a "witch hunt" against him out of jealousy, and vowed to clear his name and prove the claims were "false".

Even Lee threatened to sue over allegations implying Morgan had been mistreating him.

Now Morgan's lawyer, Antonio Castillo III, has addressed the criminal charges, which include false imprisonment, fraud, and forgery.

In a statement issued to the New York Post's Page Six, he wrote, "They are without merit and designed solely to drag his (Morgan's) name in the mud in anticipation of the coming litigation on behalf (of) Mr. Morgan against ill-intentioned parties that have been defaming him and interfering with his business dealings for the past few months."

"The patently false claims of elder abuse are total lies, and have been shown to be that in the past," Castillo added. "They are only resurfacing now because Stan Lee himself is no longer alive and able to refute them as he had done previously."

Stan died in November, aged 95.