Donald Trump went after one of America's top law firms. Its decision to fight back took just two hours.
When President Donald Trump issued an executive order this month targeting Susman Godfrey, one of the nation's preeminent law firms, the way forward was clear.
The order came as a "total bolt from the blue," one lawyer representing the firm said later during a court hearing. No one at Susman Godfrey spoke with the White House about cutting a deal, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The firm was ready to fight.
The partners unanimously agreed the firm would sue the United States government to block the executive order within two hours of reviewing it, the two people said.
In Trump's political campaign against Big Law,nine firmshavestruck dealswith the president, collectively promising $940 million in pro bono work.Four โ Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey โ opted to fight the administration in court.
More than a month into Trump's war on Big Law,there is little evidence those four firms have suffered serious consequences for choosing to fight.
In each of the four lawsuits, federal judges quickly blocked the most consequential elements from each executive order and signaled they would later rule in favor of the law firms.
The judge's swift orderheaded off potential damage to Jenner & Block, according to a source familiar with the matter. Forty percent of the firm's revenue is from companies with government contracts, it said in its lawsuit. While clients were nervous, only one, which it had represented on a pro bono basis, cut ties, the source said.
The Wall Street Journal reported thatPerkins Coie's biggest clients, including Amazon and Boeing, are sticking with the firm, although it lost some work from Honeywell. William Malley, the firm's managing partner, told The American Lawyer that he sees "momentum" in business this year after the firm's average profit per equity partner grew by nearly 16% in 2024.
It's not clear whether WilmerHale or Susman Godfrey lost any clients. Both said in court filings that Trump's executive orders would harm their businesses, but they did not provide any examples of clients leaving or refusing to do business.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-went-one-americas-100002824.html