Harry Litman - Fattest Cats Fold First [View all]

Donald Trump’s unconstitutional assault on the biggest law firms has roiled the entire legal industry. The news from just Wednesday has one more big firm, Milbank Tweed, caving to Trump’s nasty leverage campaign, and ferocious criticism from law school deans, bar associations, and lawyers from the capitulating law firms, some of whom have quit in protest.

The turmoil is completely predictable; and it will continue. Trump’s attacks have forced firms to make the most pitched decisions between raw profit and the broader ideals of the legal profession that all lawyers have been exhorted to honor since their first year in law school. And the high-profile surrenders of now four of the country’s most profitable firms lay bare their true priorities.

Conversely, the decisions to fight back by three prominent firms—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale—along with the public call to arms by Keker, Van Nest & Peters, led by legendary trial lawyer John Keker, stand as testaments to courage and principle under pressure.

The terms of surrender for the various capitulating firms varied somewhat, but in general they agreed to pony up from $40 to $100 million in pro bono legal services supporting Trump-favored causes, and to alter or discontinue their DEI programs. And the price has been rising.

https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/fattest-cats-fold-first