AP Photo/Alex Brandon
President Donald Trump took a victory lap on Thursday and announced that a major law firm he targeted via executive order had capitulated to his demands.
Last week, Trump signed an EO singling out Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, a Manhattan-based firm with notable Democratic clients.
“In 2021, a Paul Weiss partner and former leading prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought a pro bono suit against individuals alleged to have participated in the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, on behalf of the District of Columbia Attorney General,” the order stated before going on to accuse it of discrimination based on race and gender.
Trump also cited the firm’s re-hiring of Mark Pomerantz, who left Paul, Weiss to assist in the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation into Trump in 2022. Pomerantz left that job and rejoined Paul, Weiss after D.A. Alvin Bragg declined to bring charges against Trump. Bragg eventually prosecuted Trump and secured convictions on 34 felony
The president’s order rescinded any contracts the firm may have with the federal government and it prevents Paul, Weiss lawyers from entering government buildings, which is problematic if the firm needs to review sensitive materials on government property. The order was similar to another Trump issued regarding Perkins Coie, another major firm.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Paul, Weiss had lost at least one client over the executive order.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump issued a statement announcing that Paul, Weiss had affirmed its commitment to fairness and nonpartisanship, and said it would reject DEI policies, subject to an audit “mutually agreed upon within 14 days.”
Most notably, in exchange for withdrawing the order, the firm agreed to do free work for the Trump administration to the tune of $40 million.
“Paul, Weiss will dedicate the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services over the course of President Trump’s term to support the Administration’s initiatives, including: assisting our Nation’s veterans, fairness in the Justice System, the President’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, and other mutually agreed projects,” the statement read.
Perkins Coie, another firm targeted by Trump in a separate order, responded to it by suing the Trump administration.
“Its plain purpose is to bully those who advocate points of view that the president perceives as adverse to the views of his administration, whether those views are