Elite Law Firms’ Deals with Trump Decried by Their Associates

Since then, elite law firms Paul Weiss And Skadden has reached agreements with President Trump to burst the executive orders that could have paralyzed their activities, the best partners of the companies closed the ranks in support of the agreements.

But there is an discontent between the vast army of lawyers who may not have much influence in the decision -making process in the two companies but who are most of the work: their collaborators.

Some of these young lawyers affirm both in private and openly that their leaders have betrayed the principles of their companies with agreements that could undermine a commitment to provide free legal work to the public interest groups and causes in contrast to the White House.

In the last few days, the members in Paul Weiss and Skaddden have written and -mail their leadership in protest and some have left their jobs.

A SKADAND member who resigned is Thomas Sipp.

A graduate from Columbia Law School, Mr. Sipp, 27 years old, said in an interview that he had been attracted by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom because of his “remuneration and prestige”, but also because of the “commitment of the company in the work pro bono”. On Monday he wrote an EE -mail to his colleagues on why he left after less than two years.

“I am sure that some of you will question my decision and make me make a young lawyer too eager to throw away his career,” he wrote. “I’m sure there will also be those of you who will consider me naive.”

But he added: “Skadden is on the wrong side of the story. I could no longer remain knowing that one day I should explain why I remained.”

So far, it does not seem that the complaints of the shareholders turn up with the leadership of their companies.

The decision -making process in many large companies is controlled by a small group of partners who are paid every year up to $ 20 million each due to their relationships with the profitable corporate customers. In large companies, initial members tend to earn more than $ 220,000 per year plus a bonus.

To Paul Weiss, the The best partners discussed that their agreement with Mr. Trump was necessary to keep the company afloat. The executive order, they said, would have prevented the company from representing customers before the federal government could have a cost partners and associate their work.

It seems that Skadden has taken measures to prevent the spread of internal dissent. Mr. Sipp and another associated there, Brenna Frey, who left Friday, said they had been blocked by the announcement of their resignation widely on the channels and -mail of Skaddden.

Two other associates said that Skaddden’s and -mail system did not allow them to send messages on their concerns about the agreement to large groups of lawyers. Those associates spoke on condition of anonymity because they still work in Skaddden.

Lawyers had often used lists of e -mails of the internal group to circulate questions, such as asking the experiences of colleagues with judges or mediators.

Skadden refused to comment and a Paul Weiss spokesman did not respond to a commentary request.

Objections to agreements it could have other implications For companies while trying to keep talented collaborators and recruit new ones from the best laws. On Monday, a group managed by students at the Georgetown University jurisprudence school sent a letter to Skadden saying that the following day he would not participate in a recruitment event at the company’s Washington office.

The letter, by many of the over 150 members of the Georgetown’s energy group, said that the organization has decided not to participate in response to the “Skadadden’s preventive acquiescence in the pressure of the Trump administration”.

In Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a group of 43 members sent an and -mail to Brad Karp, the longtime president of the company, in the days following the agreement last month, asking for a staff meeting with Senior leadership to face the concerns about the company’s commitment to long -standing principles “

Some of the most vocal protests come from the former Paul Weiss lawyers.

Elizabeth J. Grossman, a former associate of Paul Weiss who is an executive director of the common cause of Illinois, said he chose the company after the legal school due to his commitment for the defense of democracy, among other issues.

“Paul Weiss recruited on the basis of the fact that they were different,” he said.

Mrs. Grossman, who contributed to organizing an open letter to Mr. Karp who defined the decision to establish “cowardly”, said he was still putting the calls of the lawyers interested in signing the letter.

Last month, an ex -associate of Paul Weiss even organized a virtual Shiva – the mourning period for a week in the Jewish tradition – where lawyers could gather to commise.

The agreements have focused heavily on the pro bono programs of Paul Weiss and Skaddden, in which young lawyers provide many hours of free legal services in non -profit groups that are often in contrast with the policies of Mr. Trump. The agreements require that the lawyers of companies dedicate substantial working hours to the causes favored by Mr. Trump.

Even before the President issued the executive orders, Paul Weiss had started to eliminate some references to his work of public interest in conflict with the administration.

Last month, Paul Weiss removed a web page that had highlighted his “leadership in an effort ordered by the court to find parents deported by the Trump administration and to reunite families”. Visitors of the page now receive an error message, as well as users looking for any mention of the pro bono work by Paul Weiss on behalf of LGBTQ people.

Karp has long been a supporter of the Democrats and their causes; He positioned Paul Weiss as a bulwark against many of the policies to which the party objected during the first administration of Trump.

Other great law firms, such as Wilmerhale and Jenner & Block, have opted to go to court to fight The executive orders of Mr. Trump take me to target.

But Mr. Karp tried to conclude an agreement with the White House only a few hours after Paul Weiss was hit by an order, two people said about the matter. He was ready to offer pro bono work on causes supported by Mr. Trump, including the help of the administration to launch a sovereign fund, one of the two people and another who has been informed about the matter.

After meeting Mr. Trump, Mr. Karp and a lawyer he had hired in Washington to face the executive order, Bill Burck, undertaken forward and forth with the councilors of Mr. Trump on the formulation of the agreement.

Mr. Trump’s team wanted Paul Weiss to accept not to engage in “weapons” of the law or “diversity, equity and inclusion” in hiring, two of the people informed on the matter said.

Mr. Karp won the battle for the word “weapon”, which was not mentioned in the version of the published agreement On the White House website. But a general ban on policies that promote the gods in the hiring of the company has appeared.

The agreement “will have no effect on our work and on our shared culture and values,” Karp said in one and -mail his company. “The nucleus of who we are and what we represent is and will remain unchanged.”

Susan C. Beachy Research contribution