Trump Attacks Paul Weiss, Clients in New Executive Order (2)

President Donald Trump on Friday targeted Paul Weiss in his latest attack on a top law firm over its work in court and ties to his opponents.

Trump in an executive order directed federal agencies to scrap contracts with companies who are Paul Weiss clients. The president also authorized agencies to suspend Paul Weiss employees’ security clearances and limit their access to federal buildings.

“My administration has already taken action to address some of the significant risks and egregious conduct associated with law firms,” Trump said in the order.

Trump is looking to strike a blow to prominent firms that he views as enemies by scaring off their corporate clients, even if the moves don’t stand up in court. The Paul Weiss order came two days after a federal judge blocked a similar order against Seattle-founded Perkins Coie, saying the idea that the president could wield such power “sends little chills down my spine.”

Paul Weiss is an elite Wall Street law firm, whose clients include hedge fund giant Apollo Global Management and major banks JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley. Several of its clients also are government contractors, such as Amazon, General Electric, Honeywell, and defense firm L3Harris Technologies.

The president is targeting the firm because of its ties to Mark Pomerantz, a former partner who led a Manhattan district attorney’s investigation that resulted in convictions against Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The firm, whose partners include former Obama administration officials Loretta Lynch and Jeh Johnson, has long had ties to Democrats.

Jan. 6 Riot

The order also rebukes the firm for its work on cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Paul Weiss lawyers were part of a team that sued right-wing groups such as Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their alleged involvement in the riot, accusing them of conspiring to overturn the 2020 White House election results. The firm also helped secure a $2.8 million verdict against Proud Boys for attacking a DC church in a December 2020 “stop the steal” rally.

“I believe that this abuse of his power violates his oath of office and that the courts will eventually say so,” said Stephen Gillers, an NYU law professor. “Unfortunately it may not matter what the courts say because Trump’s vendettas can cause great harm well before then.”

Trump first went after DC law firm Covington & Burling, issuing a Feb. 25 memo revoking security clearances for lawyers advising Special Counsel Jack Smith. He then turned to Perkins Coie in a March 6 order against the firm over its work for Hillary Clinton and fighting Trump-aligned lawsuits stemming from the 2020 election.

Perkins Coie told a Washington DC court that because of Trump’s order it had already lost significant business from longtime clients wary of drawing the president’s ire. A “major government contractor that has been a firm client for over 35 years” was among those that withdrew work in the six days after Trump issued the order, the firm said.

Top Firm

Paul Weiss had gross revenue that topped $2 billion last year, ranking it among the 25 largest US legal operations. Its profits per equity partner neared $6.6 million.

Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp, a litigator whose clients have included Apollo’s Leon Black and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, is a well-known Democratic Party fundraiser. Partner Karen Dunn was part of a team of advisers who helped Kamala Harris prep for her presidential debate with Trump last year. Dunn also led a $25 million suit against the organizers of the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in 2017.

The firm in January hired former Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams, whose office pursued cases against Trump ally Rudolph Giuliani and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Pomerantz, who led the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation of Trump, quit that probe after District Attorney Alvin Bragg initially declined to pursue criminal charges. He returned to Paul Weiss in an of counsel role in 2022 before leaving to launch a nonprofit litigation shop.

“Mr. Pomerantz has not been affiliated with the firm for many years,” a Paul Weiss spokesperson said.