Days after US President Trump slapped sanctions on Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, the law firms hit back with lawsuits to block executive orders.
Trump targeted Jenner & Block over its former partner, Andrew Weissmann, who engaged in “partisan prosecution as part of Robert Mueller’s entirely unjustified investigation”.
The White House said [Jenner & Block] is “yet another law firm that has abandoned the profession’s highest ideals” and had “condoned partisan lawfare”.
While WilmerHale was targeted on Thursday over its connections to Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who investigated Russia’s election meddling.
The White House also issued executive orders against Paul, Weiss, Covington & Burling, and Perkins Coie, who were all sanctioned earlier this month.
This is all part of Trump’s attack on US Big Law, especially those with connections to the Democratic Party or those with lawyers who investigated Trump or his close connections.
Perkins Coie already successfully challenged the order in court after a US district judge in Washington allowed a preliminary injunction against the order.
Jenner & Block and WilmerHale join that fight.
A spokesperson for Jenner & Block issued a statement confirming it filed a lawsuit “to stop an unconstitutional executive order that has already been declared unlawful by a federal court”, adding that the firm expects “to prevail quickly.”
“For more than 100 years, Jenner has stood firm and tirelessly advocated for our clients against all adversaries, including against unlawful government action. We once again go to court to do just that.”
“To do otherwise would mean compromising our ability to zealously advocate for all of our clients and capitulating to unconstitutional government coercion, which is simply not in our DNA,” the spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for WilmerHale said: “In an unprecedented assault on that bedrock principle, the President has issued multiple executive orders in recent weeks targeting law firms and their employees as an undisguised form of retaliation for representing clients and causes he disfavours or employing lawyers he dislikes.”
This is a different approach than Paul, Weiss, who, last Friday, folded against Trump’s threats after agreeing to supply $40m in free legal advice to the White House.
Speaking at the time, Brad Karp, chairman of Paul, Weiss, said: “We are gratified that the President has agreed to withdraw the Executive Order concerning Paul, Weiss. We look forward to an engaged and constructive relationship with the President and his administration.”
This all comes as a Federal agency sent letters to 20 law firms earlier this month, requesting information on their DEI policies.
