Latest news with #Latham&WatkinsLLP
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats Warn Law Firms That Caved to Trump are Helping Him Break Law
A group of Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from nine major law firms that struck deals with Donald Trump's administration to avoid being targeted by the president's fury. In a series of letters Thursday, 16 Democratic lawmakers warned the managing partners of several large law firms that the agreements they'd made with the Trump administration—offering millions of dollars in pro bono work on issues that support the president's agenda, among other concessions—were unenforceable and potentially violated federal and state laws. The 16 lawmakers that sent the letters included Representatives Dave Min of California, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Becca Balint of Vermont. They warned that by issuing executive orders targeting certain law firms, the Trump administration had used 'coercive and illegal measures to target certain law firms and threaten their ability to represent and retain their clients.' In total, the law firms had pledged a whopping $940 million in pro bono work to the Trump administration. The letters alleged that Trump's scheme to blackmail firms into abolishing their DEI practices and cough up millions in free work could potentially violate federal laws against bribery, defrauding the public, and even racketeering. The deals could also potentially violate the Hobbs Act, according to lawmakers, which 'prohibits obstruction, delay, or affecting commerce by extortion under color of official right.' The deals potentially violated state laws and rules of professional conduct too, the lawmakers said. Not every firm that struck a deal, or received a letter, had been openly targeted by the Trump administration. Several had preemptively approached the government to make concessions, according to statements from the firms. The lawmakers warned that the deals would have a 'chilling effect' on 'the availability of legal services for those clients and matters targeted by the Trump administration.' The nine law firms that received letters were Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP; Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP; A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins LLP; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Milbank LLP; Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. In the letters, each firm was asked a series of questions about the details of their individual deals with the Trump administration, and how exactly they'd come about. For example, Paul Weiss, the first law firm to bow to Trump, had agreed to acknowledge that one of its attorneys, Mark Pomerantz, had committed wrongdoing, according to the White House. Trump had targeted Pomerantz for his efforts to build a case against the president when Pomerantz served at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office—not illegal in the slightest. The lawmakers asked Paul Weiss to explain specifically what alleged 'wrongdoing' Pomerantz had committed. Like many of the other firms, Paul Weiss had also offered millions in free legal services and revoked their hiring practices that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion. Other questions were the same for every firm. 'Outside observers have also stated that these agreements represent a 'Sword of Damocles,' with a risk that the administration will again threaten to target firms with Executive Orders if they do not again yield to the President's demands,' one question read, asking what the firm planned to do to 'ensure that the administration will not be able to require more from the firm beyond the provisions currently in place?' Earlier this week, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut penned letters to five major law firms that they accused of being 'complicit in efforts to undermine the rule of law.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats scrutinize law firms that cut deals with Trump
Democratic lawmakers sent a series of letters early Thursday morning to nine separate law firms that have struck agreements this spring with the Trump administration, questioning whether the deals for pro bono work in exchange for the reversal of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump or to avoid being targeted in future missives may violate federal bribery, extortion, honest services fraud or racketeering laws. In correspondence, shared exclusively with ABC News, California Democratic Rep. Dave Min and Maryland Democratic Rep. April Delaney are leading 15 Democratic colleagues in demanding details of the arrangements from the leadership of some of the country's most elite law firms from Washington to New York. The firms included in the letter are: Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, and Milbank LLP. Throughout the spring, Trump announced in posts on his social media platform, fresh agreements with the firms -- totaling nearly $1 billion in pro-bono work. Trump's posts also show that firms agreed to strike Diversity, Equity and Inclusion considerations from their hiring practices -- committing to "Merit-Based Hiring, Promotion, and Retention" while also pledging that they would not deny representation to clients based on political views. The agreements worry the Democratic lawmakers, who believe the deals "capitulate to clear abuse of the law by the Trump administration." On April 10, during a Cabinet meeting, Trump floated the idea that the pro-bono commitments could be used to "help" the United States with trade negotiations as he imposes tariffs across the globe. "So I think we're going to and trying to use these, these very prestigious firms to help us out with the trade because, you know, we have a lot of countries, but we want to make deals that are proper for the United States," Trump told reporters. "By entering into an agreement that appears to be in response to the threat of illegal economic coercion against your firm from the Trump administration, your firm is not simply agreeing to provide certain pro bono services or end certain personnel hiring and retention practices," the lawmakers caution in their letter. "Agreements of this kind also signal acquiescence to an abuse of federal power, raising serious questions about how or whether your firm would represent clients or take on matters that might be seen as antagonistic to President Trump or his agenda." On April 11, the president announced that Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft -- a famed Wall Street powerhouse -- is among the firms that struck a deal, committing $100 million dollars in pro-bono services itself. Cadwalader is the former law firm of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as the president's former criminal defense attorney in 2024 before joining the current administration. "Law firms are just saying: 'Where do I sign? Where do I sign?'" Trump said March 26. "Nobody can believe it." "We do not wish to prematurely judge or assess guilt," the letter states. "Our aim however, is to gather comprehensive information with respect to the formation and implementation of the…agreement and resulting legal and ethical quandaries." The letters request details from each firm on its "motivations for entering into this agreement, how was an agreement reached, and what specific terms or promises were made." The lawmakers also inquire whether the deals comply with state bar ethics requirements, contending that the agreements may raise issues with state bar professional codes of conduct rules for lawyers. "We are sympathetic to the circumstances in which your firm finds itself, with the Administration using coercive and illegal measures to target certain law firms and threaten their ability to represent and retain their clients," the letter states, requesting a response from each firm by May 8. ABC News' Michelle Stoddart & Katherine Faulders contributed to this report Democrats scrutinize law firms that cut deals with Trump originally appeared on
24-04-2025
- Business
Democrats scrutinize law firms that cut deals with Trump
Washington, D.C. -- Democratic lawmakers sent a series of letters early Thursday morning to nine separate law firms that have struck agreements this spring with the Trump administration, questioning whether the deals for pro bono work in exchange for the reversal of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump or to avoid being targeted in future missives may violate federal bribery, extortion, honest services fraud or racketeering laws. In correspondence, shared exclusively with ABC News, California Democratic Rep. Dave Min and Maryland Democratic Rep. April Delaney are leading 15 Democratic colleagues in demanding details of the arrangements from the leadership of some of the country's most elite law firms from Washington to New York. The firms included in the letter are: Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, and Milbank LLP. Throughout the spring, Trump announced in posts on his social media platform, fresh agreements with the firms -- totaling nearly $1 billion in pro-bono work. Trump's posts also show that firms agreed to strike Diversity, Equity and Inclusion considerations from their hiring practices -- committing to "Merit-Based Hiring, Promotion, and Retention" while also pledging that they would not deny representation to clients based on political views. The agreements worry the Democratic lawmakers, who believe the deals "capitulate to clear abuse of the law by the Trump administration." On April 10, during a Cabinet meeting, Trump floated the idea that the pro-bono commitments could be used to "help" the United States with trade negotiations as he imposes tariffs across the globe. "So I think we're going to and trying to use these, these very prestigious firms to help us out with the trade because, you know, we have a lot of countries, but we want to make deals that are proper for the United States," Trump told reporters. "By entering into an agreement that appears to be in response to the threat of illegal economic coercion against your firm from the Trump administration, your firm is not simply agreeing to provide certain pro bono services or end certain personnel hiring and retention practices," the lawmakers caution in their letter. "Agreements of this kind also signal acquiescence to an abuse of federal power, raising serious questions about how or whether your firm would represent clients or take on matters that might be seen as antagonistic to President Trump or his agenda." On April 11, the president announced that Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft -- a famed Wall Street powerhouse -- is among the firms that struck a deal, committing $100 million dollars in pro-bono services itself. Cadwalader is the former law firm of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as the president's former criminal defense attorney in 2024 before joining the current administration. "Law firms are just saying: 'Where do I sign? Where do I sign?'" Trump said March 26. "Nobody can believe it." "We do not wish to prematurely judge or assess guilt," the letter states. "Our aim however, is to gather comprehensive information with respect to the formation and implementation of the…agreement and resulting legal and ethical quandaries." The letters request details from each firm on its "motivations for entering into this agreement, how was an agreement reached, and what specific terms or promises were made." The lawmakers also inquire whether the deals comply with state bar ethics requirements, contending that the agreements may raise issues with state bar professional codes of conduct rules for lawyers. "We are sympathetic to the circumstances in which your firm finds itself, with the Administration using coercive and illegal measures to target certain law firms and threaten their ability to represent and retain their clients," the letter states, requesting a response from each firm by May 8.
