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Related: About this forumLaw firms that made deal with Trump, see major clients abandon them for firms that stood up to him - Deadline - MSNBC
Marc Elias, Voting Rights Attorney and Founder of the Democracy Docket, and Michael Schmidt, New York Times Investigative Reporter, join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline: White House with reaction to new reporting in the Wall Street Journal which details how many of the same major law firms that made deals with the Trump Administration for pro bono work are now seeing major clients abandon them for firms that stood up to Donald Trump. - Aired on 06/02/2025.
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Law firms that made deal with Trump, see major clients abandon them for firms that stood up to him - Deadline - MSNBC (Original Post)
Rhiannon12866
Jun 2
OP
Maddow Blog-Law firms that appeased Trump confront the consequences of their misjudgment
LetMyPeopleVote
Jun 2
#1
LetMyPeopleVote
(164,412 posts)1. Maddow Blog-Law firms that appeased Trump confront the consequences of their misjudgment
Law firms that gave into the White Houses demands thought they were making a wise business decision. Theyre now learning otherwise.
Law firms that appeased Trump confront the consequences of their misjudgment - MSNBC
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-06-02T20:19:48.422Z
apple.news/AixE-JA2oSee...
To date, four firms Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, Susman Godfrey and WilmerHale chose the latter course, and at least so far, theyre undefeated in court. As The New York Times noted after WilmerHales latest victory, The ruling seemed to validate the strategy, embraced by a minority of firms, of fighting the administration instead of caving to a pressure campaign and making deals with Mr. Trump to avoid persecution.
Those in the appeasement camp have had far less to celebrate. The Wall Street Journal reported:
The Journals report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that the firms that cooperated with the White Houses offensive are confronting the awkward realization that their strategy backfired: The agreements were supposed to buy peace and allow the firms to move on, but in the weeks since they have caused rifts between partners, alienated some younger associates and created problems with some longtime clients......
With this in mind, NBC News reported about a month ago that a progressive group has launched a media campaign targeting the same firms that reached deals with the president.
In case this isnt obvious, the underlying point of these efforts isnt to chastise the firms for making the wrong decision; its to remind those firms that its not too late to reverse course and join the ranks of the firms resisting Trumps gambit.
Will any of the firms abandon their existing deals? If one firm does it, will others follow? Watch this space.
Those in the appeasement camp have had far less to celebrate. The Wall Street Journal reported:
Support for the law firms that didnt make deals has been growing inside the offices of corporate executives. At least 11 big companies are moving work away from law firms that settled with the administration or are giving or intend to give more business to firms that have been targeted but refused to strike deals, according to general counsels at those companies and other people familiar with those decisions. ... In interviews, general counsels expressed concern about whether they could trust law firms that struck deals to fight for them in court and in negotiating big deals if they werent willing to stand up for themselves against Trump.
The Journals report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that the firms that cooperated with the White Houses offensive are confronting the awkward realization that their strategy backfired: The agreements were supposed to buy peace and allow the firms to move on, but in the weeks since they have caused rifts between partners, alienated some younger associates and created problems with some longtime clients......
With this in mind, NBC News reported about a month ago that a progressive group has launched a media campaign targeting the same firms that reached deals with the president.
Big law, stop bending the knee, reads a poster from the Big Law Cowards campaign by the liberal nonprofit group Demand Justice. The group says the ads will be wheatpasted strategically around Washington on Thursday near the locations of the firms that have reached deals with the administration. The group will also have a mobile billboard circulating with ads criticizing the firms, along with a broader digital campaign.
In case this isnt obvious, the underlying point of these efforts isnt to chastise the firms for making the wrong decision; its to remind those firms that its not too late to reverse course and join the ranks of the firms resisting Trumps gambit.
Will any of the firms abandon their existing deals? If one firm does it, will others follow? Watch this space.
Rhiannon12866
(235,775 posts)2. Thanks for posting!


LetMyPeopleVote
(164,412 posts)3. WSJ-The Law Firms That Appeased Trump--and Angered Their Clients
My oldest child sent me this article last night. My oldest is a partner at one of the largest firms and competes against the firms named in this article. I found a gift link so that everyone can read this article.
This is a long but great article
Amazing stuff in this article.
— George Conway ððºð¸ð¥ (@gtconway.bsky.social) 2025-06-02T03:47:07.835Z
The Law Firms That Appeased Trumpâand Angered Their Clients
www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...
Hereâs a gift link www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...
— ðð¦ðððð ð¾ð¦ð£ð (@sundaedivine.bsky.social) 2025-06-02T11:17:40.097Z
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/law-firms-trump-deals-clients-71b3616d?st=VgdnnB&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Support for the law firms that didnt make deals has been growing inside the offices of corporate executives. At least 11 big companies are moving work away from law firms that settled with the administration or are givingor intend to givemore business to firms that have been targeted but refused to strike deals, according to general counsels at those companies and other people familiar with those decisions.
Among them are technology giant Oracle, investment bank Morgan Stanley, an airline and a pharmaceutical company. Microsoft expressed reservations about working with a firm that struck a deal, and another such firm stopped representing McDonalds in a case a few months before a scheduled trial.
In interviews, general counsels expressed concern about whether they could trust law firms that struck deals to fight for them in court and in negotiating big deals if they werent willing to stand up for themselves against Trump. The general counsel of a manufacturer of medical supplies said that if firms facing White House pressure dont have a hard line, they dont have any line at all......
Not long after Latham struck a deal in April, the firms chair, Richard Trobman, met with Morgan Stanleys chief legal officer, Eric Grossman, people familiar with the meeting said. Grossman heard him out about the firms reasoning for striking a deal and acknowledged that companies have to do what is best for themselves.
Soon after that meeting, Grossman and other Morgan Stanley lawyers communicated to law firms targeted by the White House that hadnt signed deals that they were looking to give them new business, the people familiar with the meeting said.....
The law firms named in this article declined to publicly discuss client matters. Leaders of firms that struck deals said their business have continued to thrive and that they have received calls from clients supportive of the deals. They have said the agreements wont force them to take on pro bono work that would create conflicts with existing clients.
The firms that chose to sue over executive orders said in court filings that they had fielded calls from anxious clients and lost business because of the orders. Judges have struck down the orders against WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Perkins Coie, and the order against Susman Godfrey has been temporarily blocked. Judges have said the executive orders amounted to unconstitutional retaliation against the firms.
On a website touting the firms lawsuit, Jenner & Block said relenting to the White House 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.
I suspect that more firms will refuse to cut a deal with trump and other firms may abandoned their "deals" with trump because such deals are not enforceable.
Rhiannon12866
(235,775 posts)5. Wow! Thanks so much! Everyone needs to see this!


LetMyPeopleVote
(164,412 posts)6. My oldest sent this article to me last night by text
I am limited in my technical skills and so I looked and found a gifted copy online.
erronis
(20,058 posts)4. Essentially the law firms that capitulated signed a soiled bit of toilet paper from trump. No contract, nothing but shit