Donald Trump revoked an executive order aimed at a significant Democratic-leaning law firm after it committed to offering $40 million in complimentary legal services to further his administration’s initiatives.
The White House had focused on law firms whose lawyers engaged in legal work that conflicted with Trump’s views. Last week, he issued an order warning of potential suspensions of security clearances for attorneys at Paul, Weiss, as well as the termination of any federal contracts with the firm.
However, Trump unexpectedly changed his stance following discussions with Brad Karp, the chair of the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, regarding the White House’s directive.
Trump’s order specifically highlighted the actions of Mark Pomerantz, a former employee of the firm who led an inquiry by the Manhattan district attorney’s office into Trump’s finances before he assumed the presidency. Pomerantz had previously compared Trump to a mob boss.
To mitigate the impacts of Trump’s order, the White House stated that the firm had agreed to “handle a diverse array of pro bono cases that reflect the broad spectrum of political beliefs within our society.” Reports indicate that the firm also committed to renouncing any diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations in its hiring and promotion practices and pledged to allocate $40 million in pro bono legal services to support Trump administration policies on matters such as veteran assistance and combating antisemitism.
The firm reportedly also acknowledged Pomerantz’s misconduct, the partner linked to the probe into Trump’s hush-money payments to an adult film star. It remains unclear if Karp was aware of this assertion.
In a statement from the White House, Karp expressed, “We are pleased that the President has agreed to withdraw the Executive Order concerning Paul, Weiss. We anticipate a productive and engaging relationship with the President and his Administration.”
The firm is the latest corporate entity to make concessions to the president in order to avoid his disfavor.
Meta and ABC both made settlement payments to Trump’s future presidential library to resolve lawsuits initiated by him. Additionally, other tech and financial companies have visibly scaled back their DEI initiatives to align with Trump’s policy preferences.
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Previous executive orders have targeted law firms including Perkins Coie, which recently filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, and Covington & Burling.
