Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Major Companies Shift Legal Work Away from Firms That Made Deals with Trump Administration

Courts have struck down the orders as unconstitutional, prompting clients to favor firms that challenged the measures

Demonstrators outside the law offices of Paul Weiss in New York protesting the firm's agreement to do free legal services for the Trump administration, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Image
Image
A protester outside Paul, Weiss law firm offices in New York on April 15, 2025.

Overview

  • The Trump administration issued executive orders in February directing agencies to strip security clearances and bar firms representing political opponents from federal contracts.
  • Four firms—Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey—successfully sued, winning injunctions that labeled the orders unconstitutional acts of retaliation.
  • Legal executives at over a dozen major companies, including Oracle, Morgan Stanley and McDonald’s, have rerouted work away from firms that made deals with the administration.
  • Firms that contested the orders report an influx of new business as corporate clients reward their legal challenges.
  • Deal-making firms face internal dissent and departures, including four senior partners leaving Paul Weiss and Microsoft briefly removing Latham & Watkins over conflict-of-interest concerns.