More partners leave Paul Weiss to join new law firm
With the additions of Melissa Zappala and Rush Atkinson in Washington, at least seven Paul Weiss partners have now joined the newly-formed Dunn Isaacson Rhee.
Atkinson joined Paul Weiss in February 2024 after more than a decade at the U.S. Department of Justice. He was part of the DOJ team working under Robert Mueller, the former U.S. special counsel who investigated Russian contacts with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Atkinson declined to comment on his move, as did the new firm. Zappala, who has worked at Paul Weiss since August 2020, had no immediate comment. The pair announced their moves on LinkedIn.
A Paul Weiss spokesperson on Monday said the firm thanked Zappala and Atkinson for their contributions.
Paul Weiss in March became the first of nine prominent firms that struck deals with the White House to avoid being targeted by President Donald Trump's administration.
The firm has pledged $40 million in free legal work to mutually agreed causes with the administration in return for Trump rescinding an executive order that threatened the firm's access to government officials and its federal contracting work.
Dunn, a prominent litigator and Washington Democrat, left Paul Weiss on May 23 to establish Dunn Isaacson Rhee along with Jeannie Rhee, Bill Isaacson and Jessica Phillips. Rhee was also a member of Mueller's team.
They did not cite Paul Weiss' deal with Trump in an internal email announcing their departures that was viewed by Reuters.
The new firm has also hired former Paul Weiss partner Kyle Smith and at least three Paul Weiss associates, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
On Friday former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams left Paul Weiss to join Jenner & Block, a Chicago-founded law firm that sued the Trump administration to block a similar White House order and won a ruling last month permanently blocking it.
Williams, who had joined Paul Weiss in January, will co-chair Jenner's litigation department and investigations practice.
The head of the pro bono practice at Paul Weiss, Steven Banks, left the firm in April to focus on representing the Coalition for the Homeless with the Legal Aid Society.
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