Trump Floats Pro Bono Trade Work as Top Law Firms Seek Deals

April 11, 2025, 3:41 AM UTC

President Donald Trump said he’s considering leveraging legal services donated by white-shoe law firms who brokered agreements to avoid punishment by the federal government to help negotiate trade deals.

“They’re the best firms, the biggest and really the most prestigious, and we may be using them to help you guys out, because you’re going to need a lot of lawyers,” Trump told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who are leading the trade talks, during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Trump a day earlier announced he was pausing higher “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly 60 countries — ...

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