Retaliatory Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms Linked to Opponents
Major U.S. law firms have been holding back since the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 9th (local time). As President Trump, who has been launching fierce attacks against his opponents, also imposed sanctions on law firms, these firms are treading carefully to avoid his displeasure. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find law firms willing to take on lawsuits against the Trump administration.
On the 6th, President Trump signed an executive order stripping the large law firm Perkins Coie, which is closely aligned with the Democratic Party, of government contracts and access to federal buildings.
During the 2016 presidential election, President Trump pointed out that Perkins Coie, which served as an advisor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and raised allegations of collusion with Russia against Trump, was also involved. After his first term ended, in 2022, Trump filed a damages lawsuit against Clinton and Perkins Coie related to this matter. He has also criticized Perkins Coie for collaborating with major Democratic donors like George Soros and adopting internal diversity initiatives.
Earlier, at the end of last month, Trump signed a similar executive order targeting Covington & Burling, the law firm where former special counsel Jack Smith, who investigated him, was employed.
In an interview with Fox News that day, President Trump said, "There are many law firms that are so dishonest they need to be corrected."
Perkins Coie responded to Trump’s actions by calling them "clearly illegal" and stated, "We intend to challenge this."
In a situation where lawsuits are one of the few means to check the president, the White House’s moves are sending a chill through the industry, WSJ noted. With over 100 lawsuits filed against President Trump’s executive orders, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hire major law firms to handle these cases.
Moreover, even Trump’s close associates are joining forces to monitor law firms that take the administration to court. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close ally of President Trump who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), recently posted an article about a lawsuit challenging funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Which law firm is pushing anti-democratic lawsuits to obstruct the will of the people?"
Jamie Raskin, the Democratic ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee from Maryland, said, "This is really dangerous," adding, "If you defend someone else’s rights, even if that is your job, the President of the United States will retaliate."
WSJ reported that several major U.S. law firms are unofficially angry about President Trump’s actions but do not want to speak out publicly.
Legal experts explained that the reason major law firms are cautious is their concern about losing corporate clients. Many companies have shown pro-Trump stances, such as attending Trump’s inauguration and withdrawing diversity initiatives.
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