Michael S. Schmidt (N.Y. Times), Law Firm Bends in Face of Trump Demands: Paul, Weiss—one of three law firms targeted by President Trump as part of his retribution campaign—said it resolved the conflict by agreeing to a range of commitments.
With the United States Congress having debased and shamed itself in the face of Trump’s bullying, it’s especially important for other institutions to stand up to the nonsense. Especially the Supreme Court and the rest of the federal judiciary. Especially the colleges and universities, and particularly the elite universities. Especially the legal profession, and particularly the American Bar Association and the elite law firms.
In recent days, Trump has targeted three of the elite law firms: Perkins Coie, Covington & Burling, and Paul Weiss.
In the initial round of the Perkins Coie imbroglio, Judge Howell handed Trump his (Trump’s) ass on a silver platter.
As to Covington, as far as I can tell, the matter is hanging fire.
In the case of Paul Weiss, the firm retained as its counsel a Trump-linked law firm and then, shortly thereafter, Paul Weiss’s head had a face-to-face meeting with Mango Mussolini—a meeting that is said to have resulted in a settlement agreement. The latter has been represented, at least by headline writers, as a capitulation by the targeted law firm.
I really don’t think so.
Trump-Approved Pro Bono Work
The purported agreement is described in Mr. Schmidt’s article, cited above. One component is said to entail the firm’s contributing “$40 million in legal services to causes Mr. Trump has championed, including ‘the President’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, and other mutually agreed projects,” according to Schmidt’s reporting.
Paul Weiss’s annual revenue is about $2.6 billion, and its profit per partner stands at just over $7.5 million. Even if the agreement implied that the firm would forego $40 million in revenues, that would only be a microscopic part of the firm’s annual earnings.
Paul Weiss is currently charging $1,000 per hour for second-year associates, $1,560 per hour for senior associates, and up to $2,400 per hour for partner time. Depending on which lawyers at Paul Weiss are going to provide the Trump-approved pro bono legal services, it’s not going to take all that long to eat up $40 million.
DEI
Schmidt also reports, “The firm, Mr. Trump said, also agreed to conduct an audit to ensure its hiring practices are merit based ‘and will not adopt, use, or pursue any DEI policies.’”
As of mid-day today, the Paul Weiss website continues to promote its “culture of inclusion” at considerable length and depth.
The Bottom Line
Interpret all of this as you will. My bottom line is that this was a face-saving retreat by Trump.
Facing MAGA 