Latest news with #JeannieRhee
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Paul Weiss lawyers leave firm after Trump deal: Report
Four top lawyers at Paul Weiss said Friday they would depart from their roles as partners at the law firm to form their own practice. 'We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally and individually the news that we have decided to leave Paul, Weiss to start a new law firm,' Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee, Jessica Phillips and Karen Dunn said in an email message to the firm late Friday afternoon, according to the New York Times. The four are widely respected for their legal ventures, which span from representation of corporations including Alphabet, Apple and Amazon to campaign prep for former Vice President Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Their move comes weeks after Paul, Weiss opted to provide $40 million in pro bono work on causes backed by the administration and to hire an outside expert to audit its hiring and employment practices. 'We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions to the firm. We wish them well in their future endeavors,' the firm said in a statement to The Hill. Brad Karp, the chair of Paul Weiss, led the firm in solidifying their agreement with President Trump resulting in a lifted executive order that would have stripped the law firm of its security clearances. Several other law firms targeted by the executive action sought similar deals, agreeing to the Trump administration's terms in an effort to bypass retaliatory measures. Critics slammed the deal as a 'horrible message' being sent both to the legal profession and the public's belief in the justice system. Prominent attorney Mark Zaid said at large by Paul, Weiss made a 'decision to simply capitulate in fear rather than stand up for the rule of law and the ethical principles that guide lawyers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
4 partners leave Paul Weiss after firm cut deal with Trump, including Democratic lawyer Karen Dunn
Four partners at Paul Weiss — including the high-profile Democratic attorney Karen Dunn — are departing the law firm, a spokesperson told CBS News, after Paul Weiss drew attention for striking a deal with President Trump to avoid targeting by the federal government. In addition to Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jessica Phillips and Jeannie Rhee are leaving the 150-year-old firm. "On behalf of the firm, Paul Weiss is grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions. We wish them well in all their future endeavors," the spokesperson said. It's not clear if the four attorneys' departures from Paul Weiss are related to the firm's agreement with Mr. Trump. Dunn co-chaired Paul Weiss's litigation department, where she is known for representing high-profile clients like Apple and Google. She's also known for her longstanding role in Democratic politics, and has helped lead debate preparations for Democratic candidates for over a decade — including for former Vice President Kamala Harris last year, The New York Times reported. Rhee — who served as managing partner of Paul Weiss's office in Washington, D.C. — previously worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. Isaacson and Phillips served as litigators at the firm, according to their bios on Paul Weiss's website. CBS News has reached out to the four departing attorneys for comment. Earlier this year, Mr. Trump targeted Paul Weiss with an executive order that sharply limited how the firm could interact with the government, seeking to revoke staff members' security clearances and cut off any federal contracts. The move was part of a wider gambit to punish the president's foes in the legal community, which he claims have "played an outsized role in undermining the judicial process and in the destruction of bedrock American principles." The president's executive order criticized Paul Weiss for employing Mark Pomerantz, who previously worked on the team of Manhattan prosecutors that investigated Mr. Trump. It also took aim at the firm — and Rhee — for taking on a pro bono case involving the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and criticized Paul Weiss' diversity, equity and inclusion policies. But that order was later rescinded by Mr. Trump, who said Paul Weiss had agreed to a litany of compromises, like auditing its hiring practices and dedicating $40 million to pro bono legal services on causes that both the firm and the Trump administration agree upon. The apparent deal between the president and Paul Weiss — along with similar deals struck by other law firms threatened by Mr. Trump — proved controversial in the legal community. Some other law firms chose to sue the administration, arguing the orders were unconstitutional. Judges have struck down Mr. Trump's orders against the firms Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block — with one federal judge on Friday saying Mr. Trump's Jenner & Block order was unconstitutional and resembled a "screed" at some points. Joe Walsh Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. contributed to this report.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
4 top partners quit Paul Weiss, Big Law firm that cut deal with Trump
Four top Paul Weiss partners announced Friday that they've resigned to start their own firm. Paul Weiss is one of the firms that made a deal with Trump to reverse an EO against the firm. The Big Law firms that have negotiated with Trump have faced criticism from others in the profession. Four partners at Paul Weiss announced Friday that they are leaving the white-shoe firm, which two months ago struck a deal with the Trump administration. Karen Dunn, a star litigator who has helped Democratic candidates prepare for presidential debates, her longtime partners Bill Isaacson and Jessica Phillips, and the former prosecutor Jeannie Rhee said in an email addressed to "partners and friends" that they are starting their own firm. The high-profile departures underscore the ongoing turmoil at Big Law firms surrounding the firms' handling of punitive executive actions from President Donald Trump's administration. The departing lawyers did not give a reason for leaving in their statement. Several major firms — including Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block — chose to challenge the legality of the orders in court, and have so far been successful after two judges declared two different orders unconstitutional. Other firms, including Paul Weiss, chose to make deals with the administration, prompting concern among associates and partners over their willingness to cooperate rather than fight. The new firm's name isn't clear. Since April, several domain names containing Dunn's name and those of other lawyers have been registered anonymously. None of the websites contains any details, and it's not clear who registered them. The lawyers have represented prominent clients like Google, Amazon, and Apple over the years. Isaacson is one of the country's top antitrust litigators. Antitrust issues have been a focus for both former President Joe Biden and Trump, who have criticized the power of large tech companies. Rhee managed the firm's Washington, DC, office, and Dunn co-chaired its litigation department. "It has been an honor to work alongside such talented lawyers and to call so many of you our friends," their departing email said. "We hope to continue to collaborate with all of you in the years to come and are incredibly grateful for your warm and generous partnership." Paul Weiss's chair, Brad Karp, said in a statement, "We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica, and Karen for their many contributions to the firm. We wish them well in their future endeavors." The departures come several months after the Trump administration began targeting Big Law firms with punitive executive actions. Among them was Paul Weiss, which faced an executive order that revoked the security clearances of the firm's attorneys and ordered a review of its government contracts. On March 20, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would drop the executive order against Paul Weiss after negotiating a deal that would require the firm to end any diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in its hiring practices and contribute $40 million of pro bono legal services to causes aligned with the administration's priorities, such as veterans affairs issues and the administration's antisemitism task force. Business Insider previously reported that the copy of the deal shared internally among Paul Weiss partners omitted language regarding DEI that was present in the president's announcement. Other firms that chose to negotiate with Trump also saw high-profile departures from partners and associates concerned with their firms' decisions not to challenge the administration. Wilkie Farr lost its longest-serving lawyer in April after Joseph Baio, a partner who'd worked there for 47 years, resigned over the firm's preemptive deal with Trump, The New York Times reported. Another firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, made a preemptive deal with the Trump administration in late March to avoid a similar executive order against it. The decision led to a series of public resignations from several Skadden associates, including Rachel Cohen and Brenna Frey. Cohen told Business Insider she had not been in touch with the attorneys who had resigned from Paul Weiss on Friday. Read the original article on Business Insider
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Four partners leave Paul Weiss following law firm's deal with Trump
May 23 (Reuters) - Four partners are leaving law firm Paul Weiss, after it struck a deal in March with U.S. President Donald Trump to lift an executive order that targeted the firm. Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee and Jessica Phillips said in an internal email obtained by Reuters they were departing to form a new practice together. "We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally and individually the news that we have decided to leave Paul, Weiss to start a new law firm," the email said. "It has been an honor to work alongside such talented lawyers and to call so many of you our friends." The four did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The email did not mention Paul Weiss' deal with Trump, in which the firm pledged $40 million in free legal work to support mutually agreed causes with the administration. Eight other law firms have since made similar deals with the White House. "We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions to the firm," Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp said in a statement on Friday. Dunn, co-chair of the firm's litigation department, is a leading Washington lawyer and prominent Democrat, having served in the Obama White House and later on the debate prep team for Trump's 2024 election opponent Kamala Harris. She is Google's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab lead attorney in a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department accusing the company of monopolizing digital advertising markets. Rhee joined Paul Weiss in 2019, after serving on the prosecution team led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that probed any connections between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Moscow. Isaacson, a veteran antitrust lawyer, joined Paul Weiss in 2020 from Boies Schiller Flexner along with Dunn and Phillips. Four law firms have sued the Trump administration over executive orders like the one Trump rescinded against Paul Weiss, which threatened the firms' access to government officials and federal contracting work. A judge on Friday struck down Trump's order against Jenner & Block, following a similar ruling this month for Perkins Coie.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Karen Dunn and Other Top Lawyers Depart Paul Weiss to Start Firm
Four top partners at Paul Weiss announced late Friday that they were leaving the law firm, a major blow to the firm in the wake of its decision to cut a deal with President Trump to head off an executive order against the firm. The partners — Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee and Jessica Phillips — will form their own law firm. 'We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally and individually the news that we have decided to leave Paul, Weiss to start a new law firm,' the lawyers said in an email message to the firm late Friday afternoon. Ms. Dunn is a prominent Democratic lawyer, having overseen debate preparation for former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their presidential campaigns. She has also been a key partner at Paul Weiss, representing Alphabet, Apple, Uber and Amazon. Ms. Rhee served as a top prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller III's special counsel investigation and oversaw the firm's Washington office. Ms. Isaacson is considered one of the country's top antitrust lawyers. Ms. Phillips clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. of the Supreme Court. Since the firm's chairman, Brad Karp, reached the deal with Mr. Trump in March, Paul Weiss has been widely criticized by its own associates, lawyers at other firms and Democrats for capitulating to the president. 'It has been an honor to work alongside such talented lawyers and to call so many of you our friends,' the lawyers said in the email. 'We hope to continue to collaborate with all of you in the years to come and are incredibly grateful for your warm and generous partnership.' In a statement on Friday, Mr. Karp said: 'We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions to the firm. We wish them well in their future endeavors.'
