Latest news with #Winston&Strawn
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Top Washington lawyer creates firm to defend officials targeted by Trump
A prominent lawyer in Washington who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges has launched a new law firm to represent former government officials and others targeted by the Trump administration. Abbe Lowell left his large law firm, Winston & Strawn, to launch Lowell & Associates, which will defend clients including individuals, institutions and others that are 'facing politicized investigations, civil and administrative actions', the firm said in a Friday statement. The new firm also includes two former lawyers at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom who quit over its response to Donald Trump's executive orders targeting the legal profession. Skadden is one of nine firms that cut deals with the administration to avoid the Republican president's crackdown on the legal industry. Four other firms have sued to block Trump's orders, which restricted their business over the president's claims that they had 'weaponized' the legal system against him or his allies. One of the ex-Skadden lawyers, Rachel Cohen, said there is a need for attorneys 'willing to stand up to the government when it oversteps'. Two other lawyers are also joining the new firm from Winston & Strawn. Lowell is representing the New York attorney general, Letitia James, after the Trump administration referred her to the justice department for allegedly falsifying real estate records. James has denied the allegations. The new firm said it is also representing clients fighting the cancellation of grant funding by the so-called 'department of government efficiency' and the federal government. Lowell represented Hunter Biden, former president Joe Biden's son, against criminal gun and tax changes before he was pardoned in December. His clients have also included former US senator Bob Menendez, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The new firm comes amid a broader effort to mount and sustain legal challenges to the Trump administration. There are more than 200 lawsuits opposing key Trump policy initiatives, including efforts to curtail transgender and immigrant rights, and eliminating agency and grant funding. Advocacy group Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 50 legal actions since the election, said this week it had hired Brian Netter, a former partner at Mayer Brown and a top attorney in the Biden-era justice department. Netter said in a statement that he was joining the organization during 'what may be the most consequential moment in the history of the US courts'.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Washington lawyer creates new firm to defend officials targeted by Trump
By Sara Merken and Mike Scarcella (Reuters) - A prominent lawyer in Washington who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges has launched a new law firm to represent former government officials and others targeted by the Trump administration. Abbe Lowell left his large law firm Winston & Strawn to launch Lowell & Associates, which will defend clients including individuals, institutions and others that are "facing politicized investigations, civil and administrative actions," the firm said in a Friday statement. The new firm also includes two former lawyers at Skadden Arps who quit over its response to President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting the legal profession. Skadden is one of nine firms that cut deals with the administration to avoid the Republican president's crackdown on the legal industry. Four other firms have sued to block Trump's orders, which restricted their business over the president's claims that they had "weaponized" the legal system against him or his allies. One of the ex-Skadden lawyers, Rachel Cohen, said there is a need for attorneys "willing to stand up to the government when it oversteps." Two other lawyers are also joining the new firm from Winston & Strawn. Lowell is representing New York Attorney General Letitia James after the Trump administration referred her to the Justice Department for allegedly falsifying real estate records. James has denied the allegations. The new firm said it is also representing clients fighting the cancellation of grant funding by the Department of Government Efficiency and the federal government. Lowell represented Hunter Biden, former Democratic President Joe Biden's son, against criminal gun and tax changes before he was pardoned in December. His clients have also included former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The new firm comes amid a broader effort to mount and sustain legal challenges to the Trump administration. There are more than 200 lawsuits opposing key Trump policy initiatives, including efforts to curtail transgender and immigrant rights, and eliminating agency and grant funding. Advocacy group Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 50 legal actions since the election, said this week it had hired Brian Netter, a former partner at Mayer Brown and a top attorney in the Biden-era U.S. Justice Department. Netter said in a statement that he was joining the organization during "what may be the most consequential moment in the history of the U.S. courts."
Reuters
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Top Washington lawyer creates new firm to defend officials targeted by Trump
May 2 (Reuters) - A prominent lawyer in Washington who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges has launched a new law firm to represent former government officials and others targeted by the Trump administration. Abbe Lowell left his large law firm Winston & Strawn to launch Lowell & Associates, which will defend clients including individuals, institutions and others that are "facing politicized investigations, civil and administrative actions," the firm said in a Friday statement. here. The new firm also includes two former lawyers at Skadden Arps who quit over its response to President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting the legal profession. Skadden is one of nine firms that cut deals with the administration to avoid the Republican president's crackdown on the legal industry. Four other firms have sued to block Trump's orders, which restricted their business over the president's claims that they had "weaponized" the legal system against him or his allies. One of the ex-Skadden lawyers, Rachel Cohen, said there is a need for attorneys "willing to stand up to the government when it oversteps." Two other lawyers are also joining the new firm from Winston & Strawn. Lowell is representing New York Attorney General Letitia James after the Trump administration referred her to the Justice Department for allegedly falsifying real estate records. James has denied the allegations. The new firm said it is also representing clients fighting the cancellation of grant funding by the Department of Government Efficiency and the federal government. Lowell represented Hunter Biden, former Democratic President Joe Biden's son, against criminal gun and tax changes before he was pardoned in December. His clients have also included former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The new firm comes amid a broader effort to mount and sustain legal challenges to the Trump administration. There are more than 200 lawsuits opposing key Trump policy initiatives, including efforts to curtail transgender and immigrant rights, and eliminating agency and grant funding. Advocacy group Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 50 legal actions since the election, said this week it had hired Brian Netter, a former partner at Mayer Brown and a top attorney in the Biden-era U.S. Justice Department. Netter said in a statement that he was joining the organization during "what may be the most consequential moment in the history of the U.S. courts." Reporting by Sara Merken and Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and Alistair Bell Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Top Washington lawyer creates new firm to defend officials targeted by Trump
Attorney Abbe Lowell walks outside the federal court on the day of Hunter Biden's trial on criminal gun charges, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 10, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/File Photo A prominent lawyer in Washington who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges has launched a new law firm to represent former government officials and others targeted by the Trump administration. Abbe Lowell left his large law firm Winston & Strawn to launch Lowell & Associates, which will defend clients including individuals, institutions and others that are "facing politicized investigations, civil and administrative actions," the firm said in a Friday statement. The new firm also includes two former lawyers at Skadden Arps who quit over its response to President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting the legal profession. Skadden is one of nine firms that cut deals with the administration to avoid the Republican president's crackdown on the legal industry. Four other firms have sued to block Trump's orders, which restricted their business over the president's claims that they had "weaponized" the legal system against him or his allies. One of the ex-Skadden lawyers, Rachel Cohen, said there is a need for attorneys "willing to stand up to the government when it oversteps." Two other lawyers are also joining the new firm from Winston & Strawn. Lowell is representing New York Attorney General Letitia James after the Trump administration referred her to the Justice Department for allegedly falsifying real estate records. James has denied the allegations. The new firm said it is also representing clients fighting the cancellation of grant funding by the Department of Government Efficiency and the federal government. Lowell represented Hunter Biden, former Democratic President Joe Biden's son, against criminal gun and tax changes before he was pardoned in December. His clients have also included former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The new firm comes amid a broader effort to mount and sustain legal challenges to the Trump administration. There are more than 200 lawsuits opposing key Trump policy initiatives, including efforts to curtail transgender and immigrant rights, and eliminating agency and grant funding. Advocacy group Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 50 legal actions since the election, said this week it had hired Brian Netter, a former partner at Mayer Brown and a top attorney in the Biden-era U.S. Justice Department. Netter said in a statement that he was joining the organization during "what may be the most consequential moment in the history of the U.S. courts." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
14-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
ABA sued over diversity scholarships by conservative group
April 14 (Reuters) - A prominent conservative group sued the American Bar Association on Saturday, alleging that a scholarship program meant to boost the number of racially and ethnically diverse law students is discriminatory. In a complaint, opens new tab filed in an Illinois federal court, the American Alliance for Equal Rights — led by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum — alleged that the ABA's 25-year-old Legal Opportunity Scholarship discriminates against white applicants because they are ineligible to apply. 'The goal of this lawsuit is not to eliminate ABA's scholarships but to ensure they are based on legitimate criteria, such as financial need or merit, rather than race,' Blum said in an announcement of the lawsuit. An ABA spokesperson declined to comment on Monday about the Alliance's lawsuit. But the organization said in a Monday statement that it 'remains dedicated to eliminating bias and enhancing diversity and promoting full and equal participation in the justice system, the association, and the legal profession by all persons.' Updates to the ABA's programs will remain consistent with those goals and will ensure all members who share these objectives have an opportunity to participate, the statement said. The ABA is the nation's largest voluntary bar association, with about 150,000 dues-paying members. The Alliance said it is representing an unnamed white male law school applicant who would apply for the $15,000 Legal Opportunity Scholarship were he eligible. The ABA awards between 20 and 25 such scholarships annually to incoming law students, according to its website. The Alliance's lawsuit comes amid a wider push against diversity and inclusion efforts in the legal profession and beyond. A different group founded by Blum brought the case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ban on affirmative action in college and university admissions. The Alliance in 2024 sued law firms Winston & Strawn, Perkins Coie, and Morrison & Foerster over their diversity fellowship programs. Blum later dropped all three lawsuits after the firms altered their application criteria. The ABA in October revised the criteria for its Judicial Clerkship Program, which encourages judges to hire diverse law clerks, to eliminate references to minority students and 'communities of color.' The ABA made that change after a different conservative legal group, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, filed a complaint against the ABA with the U.S. Department of Education in May 2024 and threatened further legal action, alleging that the ABA was illegally discriminating by using racial quotas. Affirmative action opponent drops case over Winston & Strawn's diversity fellowship
