US Federal Trade Commission warns law firms about DEI hiring

Source: Reuters

January 30, 2026 12:31 PM EST Updated 4 hours ago


Jan 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Friday it had written to 42 law firms warning them about diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring, which it described as potentially unfair and anticompetitive. President Donald Trump's administration has eliminated DEI-related programs in the government. Several private firms have also rolled back such initiatives.

The FTC letters were addressed to many of the country's largest and most profitable firms. Three of them -- Paul Weiss, WilmerHale and Perkins Coie -- were targeted last year by Trump executive orders that threatened their business practices, citing in part their allegedly discriminatory hiring practices.

Paul Weiss and two other firms named by the FTC on Friday -- Skadden Arps and Latham & Watkins -- reached deals with the White House to void or sidestep such orders, pledging millions of dollars in free legal work to mutually-supported causes with the administration.

The FTC's list also includes WilmerHale and Perkins Coie, which filed successful lawsuits challenging the president's executive orders last year as unconstitutional. Representatives for the five firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House deferred comment to the FTC.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-federal-trade-commission-warns-law-firms-about-dei-hiring-2026-01-30/