Latest news with #WilmerHaleOrder
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge Uses Unlikely Method to Nuke Trump Order Targeting Top Law Firm
A federal judge peppered his ruling with more than two dozen exclamation points to make clear to President Donald Trump his exasperation with an executive order targeting a top law firm. Senior Judge Richard Leon from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia penned a 73-page ruling striking down Trump's March executive order that targeted WilmerHale, a law firm the president accused of engaging in 'obvious partisan representations to achieve political ends.' Leon came out swinging in his introduction, and with his decisive punctuation, writing that he was declaring Trump's order unconstitutional because 'to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!' 'The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting,' he wrote. 'Now, however, several executive orders have been issued directly challenging these rights and that independence.' Trump's order revoked security clearances for WilmerHale staff, canceled government contracts, and prohibited the firm's employees from entering federal buildings. Several other prominent law firms perceived as political enemies by the president, including Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block, were targeted with similar orders. The president alleged that WilmerHale is 'bent on employing lawyers who weaponize the prosecutorial power to upend the democratic process and distort justice.' He name-dropped former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who returned to the firm after investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. WilmerHale hit back by suing Trump over his 'unprecedented and unconstitutional' attack. The court appeared convinced. 'The WilmerHale Order is, on its face, retaliation for the firm's protected speech,' Leon wrote. 'Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected speech! The Order is intended to, and does in fact, impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients!' Leon is now the third judge to stand in the way of Trump's revenge tour against law firms. Federal judges earlier struck down similar executive orders that targeted Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block. Not all targeted firms have taken Trump to court. Several others, including Skadden and Milbank, have handed wins to the president by vowing to provide the government with millions of dollars in pro bono work in exchange for being spared. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft bled employees after it decided to strike a deal with Trump.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's EO targeting Big Law firm WilmerHale goes against Founding Fathers' vision, federal judge rules
President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Big Law firm WilmerHale was ruled unconstitutional. In his ruling, District Judge Richard Leon said the EO was a form of "coercion" against the firm. Three different judges have ruled that Trump's orders against Big Law firms are illegal. A district court judge declared President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the Big Law firm WilmerHale unconstitutional. In his ruling, federal Judge Richard Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said the executive order against WilmerHale was a form of "coercion" against the firm to "suppress WilmerHale's representation of disfavored causes and clients." "I have concluded that this Order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional," Leon wrote. "Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!" The decision marks the third straight victory for law firms suing the Trump administration over the executive orders targeting them. Judges have also blocked executive orders targeting Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block. A final decision for Susman Godfrey, the fourth and most recent firm to sue the administration, remains pending, although a judge has already placed a restraining order preventing the implementation of Trump's order. Earlier in May, WilmerHale's attorneys said the Trump administration suspended the security clearances of two of its lawyers. Judge Leon's order on Tuesday requires government agencies to "immediately take any and all steps necessary to nullify and reverse any implementation" of Trump's order. "The Court's decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients," a spokesperson for WilmerHale told Business Insider. "We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients." Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The federal government can appeal Judge Leon's decision, in which case the proceedings will be heard in the court of appeals. Any subsequent appeal would be heard by the Supreme Court. In the now-blocked executive order, Trump specifically singled out attorney Aaron Zebley, a WilmerHale employee who served as a top aide in Robert Mueller's special counsel's office, which investigated Trump's ties to Russia in 2016. The order described WilmerHale's decision to hire Zebley after his participation in the federal probe as "weaponization of the justice system." WilmerHale hired the superstar conservative lawyer Paul Clement to defend the firm in its suit against the Trump administration. In his ruling, Judge Leon wrote that it is "obvious" that enforcing Trump's order against WilmerHale would be "contrary to the public interest." "The WilmerHale Order violates the separation of powers by attempting to usurp the Judiciary's authority to resolve cases and sanction abuses of the judicial process," Jude Leon wrote. "'A scheme so inconsistent with accepted separation-of-powers principles' must fall." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump's EO targeting Big Law firm WilmerHale goes against Founding Fathers' vision, federal judge rules
A district court judge declared President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the Big Law firm WilmerHale unconstitutional. In his ruling, federal Judge Richard Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said the executive order against WilmerHale was a form of "coercion" against the firm to "suppress WilmerHale's representation of disfavored causes and clients." "I have concluded that this Order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional," Leon wrote. "Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!" The decision marks the third straight victory for law firms suing the Trump administration over the executive orders targeting them. Judges have also blocked executive orders targeting Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block. A final decision for Susman Godfrey, the fourth and most recent firm to sue the administration, remains pending, although a judge has already placed a restraining order preventing the implementation of Trump's order. Earlier in May, WilmerHale's attorneys said the Trump administration suspended the security clearances of two of its lawyers. Judge Leon's order on Tuesday requires government agencies to "immediately take any and all steps necessary to nullify and reverse any implementation" of Trump's order. "The Court's decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients," a spokesperson for WilmerHale told Business Insider. "We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients." Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The federal government can appeal Judge Leon's decision, in which case the proceedings will be heard in the court of appeals. Any subsequent appeal would be heard by the Supreme Court. In the now-blocked executive order, Trump specifically singled out attorney Aaron Zebley, a WilmerHale employee who served as a top aide in Robert Mueller's special counsel's office, which investigated Trump's ties to Russia in 2016. The order described WilmerHale's decision to hire Zebley after his participation in the federal probe as "weaponization of the justice system." WilmerHale hired the superstar conservative lawyer Paul Clement to defend the firm in its suit against the Trump administration. In his ruling, Judge Leon wrote that it is "obvious" that enforcing Trump's order against WilmerHale would be "contrary to the public interest." "The WilmerHale Order violates the separation of powers by attempting to usurp the Judiciary's authority to resolve cases and sanction abuses of the judicial process," Jude Leon wrote. "'A scheme so inconsistent with accepted separation-of-powers principles' must fall."
Business Insider
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Judge finds Trump's EO against WilmerHale unconstitutional: 'to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!'
A district court judge declared President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the Big Law firm WilmerHale unconstitutional. In his ruling, federal Judge Richard Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said the executive order against WilmerHale was a form of "coercion" against the firm to "suppress WilmerHale's representation of disfavored causes and clients." "I have concluded that this Order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional," Leon wrote. "Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!" The decision marks the third straight victory for law firms suing the Trump administration over the executive orders targeting them. Judges have also blocked executive orders targeting Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block. A final decision for Susman Godfrey, the fourth and most recent firm to sue the administration, remains pending, although a judge has already placed a restraining order preventing the implementation of Trump's order. Earlier in May, WilmerHale's attorneys said the Trump administration suspended the security clearances of two of its lawyers. Judge Leon's order on Tuesday requires government agencies to "immediately take any and all steps necessary to nullify and reverse any implementation" of Trump's order. "The Court's decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients," a spokesperson for WilmerHale told Business Insider. "We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients." Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The federal government can appeal Judge Leon's decision, in which case the proceedings will be heard in the court of appeals. Any subsequent appeal would be heard by the Supreme Court. In the now-blocked executive order, Trump specifically singled out attorney Aaron Zebley, a WilmerHale employee who served as a top aide in Robert Mueller's special counsel's office, which investigated Trump's ties to Russia in 2016. The order described WilmerHale's decision to hire Zebley after his participation in the federal probe as "weaponization of the justice system." WilmerHale hired the superstar conservative lawyer Paul Clement to defend the firm in its suit against the Trump administration. In his ruling, Judge Leon wrote that it is "obvious" that enforcing Trump's order against WilmerHale would be "contrary to the public interest." "The WilmerHale Order violates the separation of powers by attempting to usurp the Judiciary's authority to resolve cases and sanction abuses of the judicial process," Jude Leon wrote. "'A scheme so inconsistent with accepted separation-of-powers principles' must fall."
