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Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Fifth partner leaves Paul Weiss to join new firm
June 2 (Reuters) - Another partner has left law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, joining Karen Dunn and others who split to launch their own firm late last month. Kyle Smith, a Washington-based litigator who has represented Amazon, Uber and other clients at Paul Weiss, is the fifth partner to join newly formed Dunn Isaacson Rhee. Smith, who announced the move in a LinkedIn post on Sunday, could not immediately be reached for comment. Paul Weiss in March became the first of nine firms that struck deals with the White House to avoid being targeted by President Donald Trump's administration. The Wall Street firm 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 found the new firm along with Jeannie Rhee, Bill Isaacson and Jessica Phillips. They did not cite Paul Weiss' deal with Trump in an internal email announcing their departures that was viewed by Reuters. Last month, former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson retired from Paul Weiss for a leadership post at Columbia University. Paul Weiss in a statement thanked Smith for his contributions to the firm. Its chairman Brad Karp has defended the agreement with Trump, arguing it was necessary to protect the firm. Dunn Isaacson Rhee said the new firm would soon formally announce its expanded team. 'Since the news of our firm became public last week, we have received a truly overwhelming amount of support and interest from lawyers and staff who want to join us," the firm said. The firm since its launch is continuing to represent Google and Qualcomm in litigation, alongside Paul Weiss lawyers that are still on the cases, court records show. Four firms sued the Trump administration after they were hit with executive orders like the one against Paul Weiss. Judges have permanently struck down the orders in three of the cases so far, ruling that Trump unconstitutionally retaliated against the firms for their past cases and associations.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Top lawyers exit Paul, Weiss law firm after Trump deal
Attorneys Karen Dunn, left, and Jeannie Rhee, two of the four top partners who have announced that they are leaving the Paul Weiss law firm (Image Credit: NYT News Service) A leading Democratic attorney and three senior partners are departing from Paul, Weiss to establish their legal practice, according to the Politico. These exits follow two months after Paul, Weiss arranged an agreement with the White House, pledging $40 million in pro-bono legal services for Trump-supported causes, in exchange for withdrawing an executive order that the firm's Chair Brad Karp indicated could have been devastating for their organisation. The departing group includes Karen Dunn, former co-chair of the firm's litigation division, who has assisted Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates with debate preparation since 2008. Jeannie Rhee, who served in the Justice Department during Obama's administration and previously defended Hillary Clinton in her private email server case before joining Robert Mueller's investigation team, is also leaving. The group also includes Jessica Phillips, known for representing major technology firms in court, and William Isaacson, a distinguished trial lawyer previously recognised as litigator of the year by The American Lawyer. "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," Dunn wrote in a goodbye email sent to the firm's partners. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo "It has been an honor to work alongside such talented lawyers and to call so many of you our friends. 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. " The executive order, which referenced the firm's connection to a lawyer who had investigated Trump for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, restricted the firm's access to government contracts, limited their lawyers' interactions with officials, and threatened to bar Paul Weiss attorneys from government buildings. Federal judges have declared similar directives against Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block unconstitutional. WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey have filed lawsuits challenging comparable executive orders, with decisions still pending. However, Paul Weiss and other prestigious law firms negotiated agreements to improve relations with Trump. "Paul Weiss is grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions. We wish them well in all their future endeavors," the firm said in a statement.
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.
