Overview

• U.S. District Judge Richard Leon struck down the March 27 order against WilmerHale, marking the third federal ruling to bar enforcement of similar directives this month.
• The executive orders sought to strip firms of federal contracts, suspend security clearances and limit building access as retaliation for representing Trump’s critics and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
• Courts unanimously found the orders violated constitutional safeguards for free speech and fair procedure and undermined the independence of the bar.
• A legal challenge by Susman Godfrey remains before the courts pending a ruling that could decide the fate of the fourth targeted firm.
• Several other Big Law firms avoided sanctions by negotiating agreements to provide nearly $1 billion in pro bono services to causes endorsed by the administration.