Trump Rescinds Paul Weiss Order as Firm Pledges $40 Million (2)

President Donald Trump rescinded an executive order against Paul Weiss, saying the law firm will dedicate $40 million in pro bono legal services during his term to support administration goals.

Trump announced his decision on Truth Social Thursday, stating Paul Weiss agreed to take on pro bono clients that “represent the full spectrum of political viewpoints.” Trump also said Paul Weiss affirmed a commitment to merit-based hiring and promotion and won’t pursue “DEI policies.”

Trump’s post said the goals Paul Weiss will spend money on include assisting the nation’s veterans, fairness in the justice system, the president’s task force to combat antisemitism and other “mutually agreed projects.”

The president’s move is the first indication that his icy relations with Big Law firms are capable of thawing, after his administration issued directives and letters targeting more than 20 legal operations in recent weeks. Trump’s executive order was part of an overall effort by the administration to crack down on what Trump calls weaponization of the legal system and discriminatory DEI hiring practices.

Paul Weiss’ agreement with Trump over the executive order “just shows that this is what it takes to make it go away,” said Cari Brunelle, founder of legal industry advisory firm Baretz+Brunelle. “The rules of the game have changed and this is a very different game.”

Trump’s agreement with the firm came after a “meeting with Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp,” according to the president’s post. Karp didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Trump’s post included a statement by Karp that said, “We are gratified that the president has agreed to withdraw the executive order concerning Paul Weiss. We look forward to an engaged and constructive relationship with the president and his administration.”

During the meeting with Trump, Karp reportedly acknowledged the “wrongdoing of former Paul Weiss partner Mark Pomerantz, the grave dangers of weaponization and the vital need to restore our system of justice.”

Pomerantz is a former Paul Weiss partner who led a Manhattan district attorney’s investigation that resulted in convictions against Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump’s March 14 order stripping the law firm’s security clearances and threatening to terminate clients contracts specifically mentioned Pomerantz.

The order also rebuked the firm for its work on cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Paul Weiss has strong ties to Democratic administrations, with partners who include former Obama administration officials Loretta Lynch and Jeh Johnson.

“Paul, Weiss will take on a wide range of pro bono matters that represent the full spectrum of political viewpoints of our society, whether `conservative’ or `liberal,’” Trump’s Truth Social post said.

The president’s March 14 order was nearly identical to one he issued March 6 against Perkins Coie, which cited the firm’s involvement in opposition research against his 2016 presidential campaign. The orders followed a Feb. 25 memo against Covington & Burling that targeted the security clearance of firm partner Peter Koski for his representation of former special counsel Jack Smith.

Meanwhile, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on March 17 announced investigations into 20 top law firms for allegedly discriminatory diversity hiring practices.