by Pam Martens and Russ Martens
Wall Street on Parade
The New York Times’ Sunday, March 23 newspaper featured a lead story on how the 1,000-lawyer Big Law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a Wall Street favorite, had caved to threats in a Presidential Action from Donald Trump, which would have banned lawyers at the firm from entering federal buildings; from reviewing classified documents for their clients by stripping them of security clearance; and effectively blacklisting the firm as a member of Donald Trump’s enemy list.
The Chair of Paul Weiss, Brad Karp, negotiated with Trump and got the order rescinded by agreeing to spend $40 million in pro bono work on projects amenable to Trump — along with other subservient concessions.
Trump’s move against Paul Weiss followed his similar actions against Big Law firms Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling. Unlike Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie hired another Big Law firm, Williams & Connolly to represent it, and filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. As a bold symbol that it would not be intimidated by Trump’s revenge tour, Williams & Connolly listed 14 of its lawyers by name on the court filing as counsel to Perkins Coie.
Pertinent sections of the lawsuit read as follows: