Overview

• President Trump announced intentions to utilize free legal services from leading U.S. law firms to assist with trade negotiations, citing recent pro bono commitments worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Four law firms, including Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps, have already agreed to provide significant pro bono legal work to support Trump administration initiatives.
• Trump is reportedly nearing a new deal with additional firms, potentially committing up to $125 million in legal services for his administration’s policy goals, including trade and MAGA-related efforts.
• The administration has faced criticism for using executive orders to pressure firms representing political adversaries, with some firms challenging these orders in court.
• Trump recently paused reciprocal tariffs on several nations, excluding China, as over 75 countries expressed interest in negotiating new trade agreements.