Covington Revenge Deepens Worries of Defending Trump Targets (1)

Feb. 26, 2025, 6:23 PM UTCUpdated: Feb. 27, 2025, 12:12 AM UTC

President Donald Trump’s decision to punish Covington & Burling for representing former Special Counsel Jack Smith will feed some firms’ worries about letting lawyers volunteer to represent former Justice Department attorneys.

Private attorneys seeking to represent DOJ workers being forced out or investigated had already faced pushback from their firms’ executive committees over concerns such work will hurt their brands and cut into billings, according to interviews with 12 attorneys.

Some firm leaders, citing corporate clients threatening to walk if they get crosswise with Trump, have rejected outright or put up roadblocks to partners seeking approval to represent DOJ lawyers, ...

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