Latest news with #DonaldVerrilli
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Google taps top Obama Supreme Court lawyer for search antitrust appeal
June 3 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab has hired Donald Verrilli Jr, the U.S. solicitor general during the Barack Obama administration, to appeal a judge's ruling that the tech titan has an unlawful monopoly in online search, Google confirmed on Tuesday. Verrilli's hire is a key first step in Google's legal fight to undo the ruling, which it has said could pose a threat to its business. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta last year ruled Google holds an unlawful monopoly in online search and related advertising, and is considering proposals to make the tech titan sell off its popular Chrome browser, or share data that CEO Sundar Pichai says would allow competitors reverse engineer its search engine. Google has argued the DOJ failed to prove that competition was harmed by its exclusive agreements with device makers such as Apple to preload Google as the default search engine on new devices. The company has recently begun loosening its agreements to allow partners including Samsung to load rival apps. Verrilli, who as solicitor general was the Obama White House's top Supreme Court advocate, is known for his work successfully defending the Democratic president's signature domestic healthcare law. He will represent Google in its planned appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where Democratic-appointed judges outnumber Republican ones 9 to 6. Verrilli is separately the lead lawyer for law firm Susman Godfrey in its lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order that restricted its business. A judge in April blocked key provisions of the order. Verrilli is representing hundreds of other firms that filed a court brief denouncing Republican President Donald Trump's attacks on prominent law firms. He is also representing U.S. Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter in a lawsuit challenging her firing, and the National Endowment for Democracy in a case accusing the Trump administration of illegally withholding funds. Verrilli's firm Munger Tolles has represented Google in other lawsuits. The firm, whose founders include the late Charlie Munger, has counted Berkshire Hathaway and Bank of America as some of its other clients.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
504 Law Firms Sign Amicus Brief Backing Lawsuit Against Trump's Executive Order
The legal community is banding together to show their support for Perkins Coie's lawsuit against the Trump administration. The New York Times reported on Friday that more than 500 firms signed an amicus brief outlining why the president's targeting of law firms to do his bidding is 'a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself.' A total of 504 companies signed the brief, though none of the nation's 20 largest firms were among them. After Trump slapped an executive order on Perkins Coie, threatening its business, the firm sued. A handful of others have as well, while some firms have opted to cave to Trump's demands for pro bono work, among other things. Nearly 10 firms on The American Lawyer's list of the 100 most profitable ones ended up signing, according to the Times, which reported that some firms' decisions not to sign didn't mean they opposed it in principle. Rather, some allegedly feared that signing would only make them a target for the president, and therefore cost them clients. The brief, drawn up by Donald Verrilli, a solicitor general during the Obama administration, and Chicago lawyer Nathan Eimer, warned about Trump's continued threats against the legal community. 'Unless the judiciary acts decisively now, what was once beyond the pale will in short order become a stark reality,' it said. 'Corporations and individuals alike will risk losing their right to be represented by the law firms of their choice and a profound chill will be cast over the First Amendment right to petition the courts for redress.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hundreds of law firms, former judges sign onto briefs in support of Perkins Coie
Hundreds of law firms and former judges have signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs in support of Perkins Coie as the law firm challenges President Trump's executive order targeting it. More than 500 law firms and 300 retired judges asked for leave to file two amicus briefs condemning Trump's order stripping security clearances from and severing government ties with the major law firm, which previously did work for Democrats. 'Although we do not take this step lightly, our abiding commitment to preserving the integrity of the American legal system leaves us no choice but to join together to oppose the (executive order) that is at issue in this litigation,' wrote Donald Verrilli, a former solicitor general under former President Obama, in the law firms' brief. The brief asks U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who is overseeing the Perkins Coie challenge, to decide the case in the law firm's favor and indefinitely block Trump's order. Few Big Law firms signed the brief, though Covington & Burling, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block — others targeted by Trump in executive orders — did. The firms Arnold & Porter and Freshfields LLP also signed the brief. Gupta Wessler LLP, whose founding principal, Deepak Gupta, is leading numerous challenges to Trump's executive actions, signed the brief as well. The amicus brief signed by the judges, whose 'views on political and social issues vary,' argued that zealous legal representation is an 'indispensable element of the rule of law.' 'Amici share an interest in ensuring both the substance and the appearance of justice in the adjudication of disputes,' their brief reads. 'This requires — always — preserving the freedom of lawyers to advocate for their clients with candor and with zeal, thus providing judges with the complete legal and factual record needed for fair adjudication.' Trump's crackdown on major law firms has raised alarm across the legal industry, but Big Law has split on how to respond. While Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, have each sued over Trump's executive orders against them, the law firms Paul, Weiss; Skadden Arps; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and Milbank have struck deals with Trump. The settlements commit to pro bono work for causes championed by the administration and other agreements. In the Perkins Coie challenge, a federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of Trump's executive order from being enforced. The administration may not prevent Perkins Coie personnel from entering federal government buildings nor require government contractors to disclose if they do business with the firm. Howell, who issued the temporary restraining order, said at the time that Trump's executive order against Perkins Coie likely violates the First Amendment for retaliating against protected speech and likely runs afoul of due process protections. 'The judiciary should act with resolve — now — to ensure that this abuse of executive power ceases,' Verrilli wrote on behalf of the law firms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
04-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Hundreds of law firms, former judges sign onto briefs in support of Perkins Coie
Hundreds of law firms and former judges have signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs in support of Perkins Coie as the law firm challenges President Trump's executive order targeting it. More than 500 law firms and 300 retired judges asked for leave to file two amicus briefs condemning Trump's order stripping security clearances from and severing government ties with the major law firm, which previously did work for Democrats. 'Although we do not take this step lightly, our abiding commitment to preserving the integrity of the American legal system leaves us no choice but to join together to oppose the (executive order) that is at issue in this litigation,' wrote Donald Verrilli, a former solicitor general under President Obama, in the law firms' brief. The brief asks U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who is overseeing the Perkins Coie challenge, to decide the case in the law firm's favor and indefinitely block Trump's order. Few Big Law firms signed the brief, though Covington & Burling, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block — others targeted by Trump in executive orders — did. The firms Arnold & Palmer and Freshfields LLP also signed the brief. Gupta Wessler LLP, whose founding principal, Deepak Gupta, is leading numerous challenges to Trump's executive actions, signed the brief as well. The amicus brief signed by the judges, whose 'views on political and social issues vary,' argued that zealous legal representation is an 'indispensable element of the rule of law.' 'Amici share an interest in ensuring both the substance and the appearance of justice in the adjudication of disputes,' their brief reads. 'This requires — always — preserving the freedom of lawyers to advocate for their clients with candor and with zeal, thus providing judges with the complete legal and factual record needed for fair adjudication.' Trump's crackdown on major law firms has raised alarm across the legal industry, but Big Law has split on how to respond. While Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, have each sued over Trump's executive orders against them, the law firms Paul, Weiss; Skadden Arps; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and Milbank have struck deals with Trump. The settlements commit to pro bono work for causes championed by the administration and other agreements. In the Perkins Coie challenge, a federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of Trump's executive order from being enforced. The administration may not prevent Perkins Coie personnel from entering federal government buildings nor require government contractors to disclose if they do business with the firm. Howell, who issued the temporary restraining order, said at the time that Trump's executive order against Perkins Coie likely violates the First Amendment for retaliating against protected speech and likely runs afoul of due process protections. 'The judiciary should act with resolve — now — to ensure that this abuse of executive power ceases,' Verrilli wrote on behalf of the law firms.
