President Donald Trump has reached agreements with five prominent law firms, which will help them avoid the consequences of potentially harsh executive orders. These legal firms will now be required to provide millions of dollars’ worth of free legal services to support causes the administration claims to back. The deal also includes conditions meant to prevent the firms from facing future White House sanctions.
The White House says these firms will assist in key areas like veterans’ affairs and combating anti-Semitism. Trump’s announcement on Friday highlighted how he continues to make powerful legal organizations cooperate with his administration to avoid penalties that could have a major impact on their business operations.
A Deal to Avoid Punishment
The five law firms in question are Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Allen & Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. As part of their deals, these firms have agreed to provide significant legal services free of charge. Each of the four firms (Kirkland & Ellis, Allen & Overy Shearman Sterling, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Latham & Watkins) will contribute $125 million in pro bono services, while Cadwalader will provide $100 million.
In exchange for offering these services, the firms have been able to avoid certain executive orders that could have damaged their reputations and businesses. These orders included demands from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for information about whether the firms were engaging in discriminatory hiring practices. With this deal, the administration has agreed to withdraw those demands, allowing the firms to avoid further investigation.
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A Look at What the Deals Entail
The arrangements made between Trump’s administration and the law firms go beyond just providing free services. The law firms have also agreed to adopt some new hiring practices, including the disavowal of any “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that would prioritize certain groups over others in their hiring processes. Furthermore, the law firms have agreed to work with clients regardless of their political beliefs. This is important because it means they will not turn away clients based on political views, ensuring a more neutral approach to their legal work.
The law firm Kirkland & Ellis sent a message to its employees explaining that this agreement would help resolve the EEOC investigation and prevent further action from the administration. The firm emphasized that it remains committed to a non-partisan and merit-based approach, which is at the core of its values. Other firms, including those who have yet to comment publicly, are believed to be taking similar steps to ensure that they maintain their operations without facing the risk of being targeted again by the administration.
The Broader Context of Trump’s Executive Orders
The moves made by President Trump are part of a larger effort by his administration to reshape how civil society and businesses interact with the government. The executive orders in question could have had serious consequences for the law firms, including losing their security clearances, being banned from federal buildings, and having their federal contracts terminated. These orders would have disrupted the daily operations of many firms and their ability to conduct business with government clients.
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Some of these firms have already won temporary victories in court, blocking the implementation of certain executive orders that threatened their operations. However, others have sought to avoid the pain of a prolonged legal battle by agreeing to make significant concessions to the Trump administration.
Among the firms that have reached deals are well-known names in the legal community, such as Paul Weiss, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and Milbank. These firms agreed to provide millions of dollars in pro bono work in exchange for having the threat of executive orders removed. Some of these firms had ties to individuals who had previously investigated or represented people opposed to Trump, which may have contributed to their targeting by the administration.
In another notable development, the firm Susman Godfrey, which won a large settlement against Fox News for spreading false information about the 2020 election, filed a lawsuit to challenge a recent executive order. Their complaint argued that Trump was misusing the power of the office to punish those who oppose him.
This series of agreements shows how Trump’s administration is using executive orders not just to punish those it sees as adversaries but also to extract favorable concessions from some of the most powerful law firms in the country.
