March 21, 2025

"The chairman of Paul Weiss sought to reassure employees at the giant law firm that the deal it had reached with President Trump was consistent with principles that the 150-year-old firm has long stood by."

From "Paul Weiss Chair Says Deal With Trump Adheres to Firm’s Principles/In an email message, the law firm’s chairman, Brad Karp, reassured employees that its deal with President Trump was in keeping with its principles" (NYT)(free-access link).

Here's Trump's post on the subject:
Today, President Donald J. Trump agreed to withdraw his March 14, 2025 Executive Order regarding the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP law firm (“Paul, Weiss”), which has entered into the following agreement with the President:

1. Paul, Weiss agrees that the bedrock principle of American Justice is that it must be fair and nonpartisan for all. Our Justice System is betrayed when it is misused to achieve political ends.

Lawyers and law firms play a vital role in ensuring that we live up to that standard as a Nation. Law firms should not favor any political party when it comes to choosing their clients. Firms also should not make decisions on whom to hire based on a person’s political affiliation. To do otherwise is to deny some Americans an equal opportunity for our services while favoring others.

Lawyers abandon the profession’s highest ideals when they engage in partisan decision-making, and betray the ethical obligation to represent those who are unpopular or disfavored in a particular environment.

2. Paul, Weiss affirms its unwavering commitment to these core ideals and principles, and will not deny representation to clients, including in pro bono matters and in support of non-profits, because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.

3. Paul, Weiss will take on a wide range of pro bono matters that represent the full spectrum of political viewpoints of our society, whether “conservative” or “liberal.”

4. Paul, Weiss affirms its commitment to merit-based hiring, promotion, and retention, and will not adopt, use, or pursue any DEI policies. As part of its commitment, it will engage experts, to be mutually agreed upon within 14 days, to conduct a comprehensive audit of all of its employment practices.

5. Paul, Weiss will dedicate the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services over the course of President Trump’s term to support the Administration’s initiatives, including: assisting our Nation’s veterans, fairness in the Justice System, the President’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, and other mutually agreed projects.

Statement from the White House: “The President is agreeing to this action in light of a meeting with Paul, Weiss Chairman, Brad Karp, during which Mr. Karp acknowledged the wrongdoing of former Paul, Weiss partner, Mark Pomerantz, the grave dangers of Weaponization, and the vital need to restore our System of Justice.”

In response to the President’s announcement, Paul, Weiss’s Chairman Brad Karp said: “We are gratified that the President has agreed to withdraw the Executive Order concerning Paul, Weiss. We look forward to an engaged and constructive relationship with the President and his Administration.”

31 comments:

Goldenpause said...

I will be surprised if the firm doesn’t start trying to evade its promises tomorrow morning.

RCOCEAN II said...

1. The law firm is run by Leftist lawyers
2. Leftists don't believe in keeping any promise made "to the enemy".
3. Leftists will promise anything to gain or keep power.
4. Accordingly, look for the law firm to break all its promises and go back to its old ways very, very, soon.
5. They will also lie, and assert they really are fufilling their promises. Honest, Injun!

Michael Fitzgerald said...

https://x.com/willchamberlain/status/1903056967175721041
Didn't take long for the libtards to start self-deporting.

FormerLawClerk said...

Both journalism and law schools SPECIFICALLY identify and weed out students who are NOT liberal, ensuring that no conservatives would ever graduate or be hired into these two professions. They don't catch all of them. Just 98% of them.

bobby said...

I've dealt with Paul, Weiss.

Their principles mainly revolve around the sentiment of "Bill, MORE!"

FormerLawClerk said...

They will also lie, and assert they really are fufilling their promises. Honest, Injun!

This is true. However now it's costing them $40 million to do it.

Trump has figured out how to run the Democrats protection racket against them.

Kakistocracy said...

If they can't defend themselves why would anyone engage them. Who wants to employ a firm of lawyers that rolls over that easily?

They will never brush this off. While recommending a pragmatic settlement is always an important in litigation, this will not achieve the same purpose as clients recognize the craven nature of it. one hopes Perkins Coie will show the way, recouping hundreds of millions in damages from US government for such capricious behavior.

rehajm said...

I will be surprised if the firm doesn’t start trying to evade its promises tomorrow morning.

It would surprise me if they waited that long…

Original Mike said...

"one hopes Perkins Coie will show the way"

declares a LLR. Perkins Coie "showed the way" in 2016. Hopefully, the chickens are coming home to roost.

boatbuilder said...

"Those are my principles, gentlemen. If you don't like them...I have others."

rehajm said...

Didn't take long for the libtards to start self-deporting.

We had three staffers try to recruit the rest of the office into one of those fresh grad mutinies. A full work week doesn’t mean Friday, and mostly Thursday after the bars are open and on and on. Fortunately they also self-deported. I did her one side of a conversation with a managing partner that made it sound like at least one was looking for their job back. First- No! Second…don’t ever do this to anyone ever again! is what was offered…

Achilles said...

I wonder if these law firms understand just how thin the ice is under their feet?

psavich said...

Not sure I understand what's going on. I work for a large company and in the past often hired lawyers to represent us. I would NEVER hire a lawyer that sued us, for any reason. What is is about these big DC firms that can't be accomplished by, Oh let's say, about another million lawyers?

Jimmy said...

Very nice to see this happen. I would feel much better if every lawyer involved in the Russia hoax was jailed, disbarred and stripped of all assets. These asshats want to play dangerous illegal games, then they should suffer consequences. real ones.

Rabel said...

I'm going to see if I can find "The Godfather" on streaming so I can catch up on my references.

Looks like I'm going to need them.

Rabel said...

Sounds like they must have a case against Pomerantz, either ethical or criminal, nailed down tight.

Aggie said...

Did he make a visit to Mar A Lago, to kiss the ring? Not officially off the hook, till he does.

Drago said...

"4. Accordingly, look for the law firm to break all its promises and go back to its old ways very, very, soon."

Too much money is at stake for this "venerable" law firm's senior partners to lose based on lost contracts for clients as well as loss of their security clearances....which they absolutely deserve to lose. They lucked out that Trump reconsidered for them.

As for Perkins Coie, whom LLR-democratical Rich adores because Marc Elias's old working "haunt" was THE RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA HOAX CONDUIT originating from Hillary's campaign in 2015 thru Perkins Coie thru Fusion GPS and thru the obama/biden regime and CIA/DOJ/FBI/NSA and thru our "5 eyes" "allies" (snort) for the corrupt weaponization of the entire federal government against domestic political opponents.

Which Li'l Abacus Boy Rich, who has apparently sufficiently recovered from his hilarious meltdown over the news that X has fully recovered its full $44Billion purchase value and has cleared all debt off its books which Rich said was impossible to post again, no doubt loves the most about them.

Perkins Coie, unlike Paul Weiss, did not bend the knee to Trump because they already knew he would never accept their hoaxed up apologies.

Finally, Trump has taught the republicans writ large to fight against the New Soviet Democraticals the way the marxists have fought against the republicans for literally decades.

William50 said...

I don't know why but I can't help but think that Brad Karp had his fingers crossed behind his back when he agreed to this.

Drago said...

Just wait until the DOJ/FBI, under new management, really investigate what these New Soviet Democraticals have been doing in terms of corruption within govt: see ActBlue.

Ambrose said...

I have dealt with Paul Weiss over the years and while they are fine lawyers and not horrible individuals, they can be very full of themselves and very quick to point out everybody they think they are better than. I am almost (but not quite) ashamed at how much I am enjoying them being slapped around by Trump.

Oso Negro said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oso Negro said...

I’m amazed they haven’t sought injunctive relief like all the other acrobats and clowns

Achilles said...

psavich said...
Not sure I understand what's going on. I work for a large company and in the past often hired lawyers to represent us. I would NEVER hire a lawyer that sued us, for any reason. What is is about these big DC firms that can't be accomplished by, Oh let's say, about another million lawyers?

You understand and should just say it out loud.

This is a tribe and they all have rice bowls funded by the US taxpayer. In order to protect their own rice bowl they usually band together to protect everyone else's rice bowl too.

These people all scratch each others back at our expense.

Achilles said...

Drago said...
"4. Accordingly, look for the law firm to break all its promises and go back to its old ways very, very, soon."

Too much money is at stake for this "venerable" law firm's senior partners to lose based on lost contracts for clients as well as loss of their security clearances....which they absolutely deserve to lose. They lucked out that Trump reconsidered for them.

I will be curious to find out the details of this deal.

I think Trump made a deal with them because they were the first to roll on the others.

Readering said...

Not obvious to me what Paul Weiss would be tempted to go back on. The damage was done by kow towing in the first place. Having said that, Trump's Truth Social statement changed what Paul Weiss actually agreed to. Because that's what lying authoritarians do routinely.

Craig Mc said...

If it's one thing lawyers like more than politics, it's money. Principles don't even come into the frame (present company excepted!).

Drago said...

Readering: "Not obvious to me what Paul Weiss would be tempted to go back on. The damage was done by kow towing in the first place. "

Not obvious to you eh?

I suggest you spend your time more productively figuring out how badly your reflexive, unthinking and moronic defense of the Delaware Court of Chancery shenanigans by the completely corrupted McCormick and Laster turned out....with all the political and business fallout that is occurring now due to that corruption despite your many earlier rationalizations for it.

Olson Johnson is right! said...

I strongly disagree with almost all of this agreement.
The choice of a lawyer is so fucking fundamental to our system- going back to pre-common law days. The advocate that you choose to represent you should give you confidence that they (the lawyers) are going to go balls out for your case with enthusiasm.
Likewise no firm or attorney should ethically take a case unless they are committed to the clients benefit.

I see two issues: A- forcing someone to do work is called slavery. B-These criteria of impartialness are appropriate for a government agency. I thought Law firms were private partnerships.
What am I missing? Is this another weird Trump thing?

Olson Johnson is right! said...

(edit) ..three issues...C-Trump's problem is a personal tort/damage claim, seems wrong to use governmental power to reach settlement.

mikee said...

The punishment is not sufficient to deter further such behavior. $40million over 4 years, when the 2023 billing by the firm was over $2BILLION. So half a percent of revenue as a punishment. They probably spend more on renovating their office decor each year.

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