Trump Targets Law Firms Which Opposed Him

Trump signed illegal executive orders to suspend the security clearances and access to federal buildings of law firms which opposed him and tried to hold him accountable for his conduct.

Trump targets Jenner & Block law firm in new executive order

‘Fighting back’: 3 top law firms file lawsuits against Trump administration over executive orders

Glenn Thrush, New York Times Justice Department Correspondent, Anthony Coley, MSNBC Justice and Legal Affairs Analyst joins Alicia Menendez in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the multiple lawsuits filed by top law firms that were targeted by the Trump Administration with executive orders, which was done to intimidate big law firms and dissuade Trump’s political opponents from obtaining the best legal counsel they can when they push back against his agenda, and is meant to have a chilling effect on the entire legal profession.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s ‘retaliatory’ order against law firm

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt some of the penalties it levied on a law firm linked to Democratic causes that are unpopular with the president. Last week, Trump signed an executive order deeming the firm a national security risk.

Major law firms sue Trump administration over executive orders targeting them

Two major law firms are suing to block President Trump’s executive order that strips their attorneys’ security clearances and ends their interactions with the federal government. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News Department of Justice correspondent, and Jessica Levinson, CBS News legal contributor, join “America Decides” to unpack the implications of the legal battle.

Law firms with ties to politics and Mueller probe take Trump to court over his executive order | CNN Politics

Two law firms targeted by President Donald Trump’s executive orders – Jenner & Block and Wilmer Hale – filed lawsuits Friday as the legal industry continues to grapple with the unprecedented attacks from the White House.

Per the article above, “Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing agencies to suspend the security clearances and access to federal buildings of lawyers for the law firm Wilmer Hale, the former firm to one time-special counsel Robert Mueller.

The order also directs agencies to “refrain from hiring employees” of the firm without a waiver from an agency head, and it directs agencies to review any contracts they may have with the firm and make efforts to terminate them.

The executive order on Thursday is the fifth restricting a major Washington law firm’s ability to do business with the federal government. The White House has made clear these firms are being punished because of their partners’ or clients’ political work and ties to criminal investigations that probed Trump.

Wilmer Hale is one of the largest law firms in Washington — and former professional home to Mueller, who oversaw the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In the executive order, Trump claims that Wilmer Hale has “abandoned the profession’s highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.” The order specifically notes Mueller’s ties to the firm.

Wilmer Hale responded to the executive order Thursday, citing its history of representing a range of clients “including in matters against administrations from both parties.”

“We remain committed to providing the expert representation that our clients are entitled to and rely upon,” a spokesperson for the firm said in a statement. “We look forward to pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order.”

Despite widespread shock in the legal community about Trump going after firms, many of the major firms in Washington are refusing to take a stand against Trump publicly, out of fear they could become targets themselves.

One firm of the five so far, Perkins Coie, has sued and initially won some court orders telling the administration it would be unconstitutional to block the firm’s lawyers from federal buildings and potentially punish its corporate clients that contract with the government. That type of far-reaching order is still in place on another firm, Jenner & Block.

Yet another large firm, Paul Weiss, cut a deal with Trump, promising pro bono legal work over the next four years.

Wilmer’s partnership delivered several people to the Mueller investigation in 2017. The team found Trump likely obstructed justice during his first term in office but could not be charged with a crime and documented several connections between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia”.