At least three of the world’s largest law firms are discussing a joint deal with the Trump administration to avoid punitive executive orders.
Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett would commit at least $300 million combined in pro bono legal services to causes advocated by Trump under a proposed agreement with the White House, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The agreement, which the firms want to also resolve investigations of their diversity programs for possible discrimination, would bring the total amount of free services pledged to at least $640 million.
“We have a lot of law firms that have paid me a lot of money,” Trump said Thursday in a Cabinet meeting. “Now we have the final four or five,” he said, suggesting other firms are at the table.
The president wants lawyers at firms to work on issues related to tariffs, he said. He also plans to use the firms to help with an effort to ramp up coal mining across the country, he said April 8.
Representatives for Kirkland, Latham, and Simpson Thacher did not immediately respond to comment requests.
The president has issued a string of executive orders targeting firms for their ties to his perceived enemies and work on causes he opposes. The orders—against Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey—threaten to revoke lawyers’ security clearances, restrict their access to federal buildings, and cancel their clients’ government contracts. Three of those firms won court rulings temporarily blocking the orders, while Susman Godfrey said it also plans to fight the order against it.
The president withdrew an order against Paul Weiss after the Wall Street firm struck a deal, including $40 million in pro bono work. Skadden, Milbank LLP, and Willkie Farr later reached preemptive deals, committing at least $100 million apiece.
The country’s largest law firms mostly declined to sign an amicus brief backing Perkins Coie in its suit against Trump.
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