Overview

• Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft pledged $100 million in pro bono work to President Trump’s priorities to avoid punitive executive orders targeting law firms.
• The deal has led to significant attorney departures, including key litigators and former Maryland Deputy Attorney General J.B. Howard, citing frustration with the firm’s decision.
• Trump’s executive orders have pressured law firms to abandon diversity initiatives and commit to pro bono work, with some firms suing successfully to block the orders as unconstitutional.
• Other firms, such as Allen & Overy Shearman Sterling, have also faced internal backlash and employee revolts after cutting similar deals with the administration.
• The broader legal community is divided, as lawmakers and bar associations investigate the ethics and legality of these agreements, which critics argue undermine professional independence.