Months after Paul Weiss reached a settlement with the Trump administration, four senior partners at the firm are leaving to start their own practice, according to The New York Times and Bloomberg Law.
Why It Matters
The partners’ exit comes several months after Paul Weiss settled with the Trump administration to avoid having to face the consequences—legal or otherwise—of Trump’s March executive order terminating all federal government contracts with the firm and revoking the security clearances of its lawyers.
Trump’s executive order targeting the firm specified that it was being singled out because one of its lawyers, Mark Pomerantz, investigated Trump’s business dealings when he was in the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
What To Know
One of the four partners leaving is Karen Dunn, a top Democratic lawyer who helped then Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with debate preparation during their presidential campaigns, according to The New York Times.
Dunn also spearheaded a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the organizers of the far-right “Unite The Right” protest in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, Bloomberg reported.
Another partner exiting Paul Weiss is Jeannie Rhee, who worked as a prosecutor on the special counsel Robert Mueller‘s team, which investigated Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its efforts.
The other two partners leaving the firm are Bill Isaacson, a well-known antitrust lawyer, and Jessica Phillips, who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, The Times reported.
Paul Weiss came under fire after it settled with Trump to sidestep fighting his March executive order. As part of the arrangement, the firm agreed to scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, as well as provide $40 million worth of pro bono services to support Trump’s agenda.
Trump subsequently rescinded his executive order. In the wake of the settlement, Paul Weiss faced a firestorm of criticism and the head of the firm’s pro bono arm, Steven Banks, resigned.
More than 170 alumni of the firm also signed an open letter to the firm’s chairman, Brad Karp, calling the decision to settle “cowardly” and adding that “the very independence of lawyers and the legal profession is at stake.”
In total, the nine major law firms that settled with the Trump administration have agreed to provide about $1 billion in legal work, according to Bloomberg.
What People Are Saying
Dunn, Rhee, Isaacson and Phillips said in an email to the firm on Friday both Bloomberg and The Times reported: “We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally and individually the news that we have decided to leave Paul, Weiss to start a new law firm.”
Brad Karp, the chairman of the firm, told The Times in a statement: “We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions to the firm. We wish them well in their future endeavors.”
Neera Tanden, a prominent Democratic activist, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Proud of these legal leaders. They are putting principle first. Hope all lawyers at Paul Weiss of conviction join them.”
Jason Kint, a digital media veteran and the CEO of Digital Content Next, wrote on X: “Wow. Paul Weiss just lost the top attorneys representing Google in its adtech antitrust case just as remedies are getting underway. It will be interesting to see how Google handles this since this is fallout for the law firm being first to do a Trump deal.”
What Happens Next
At least three law firms—Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block—have fought Trump’s executive orders in court. On Friday, a federal judge appointed by George W. Bush blocked Trump’s order targeting Jenner & Block after finding that it violated the Constitution.