'Daily public spanking': Lawyers critical of Trump's handling of top firms fight back

[IA8IT]

1. If Big Law stood with Paul Weiss for a New York minute instead feasting on the wounded....

Deal with the devil you get pain and death
Link opens to all. I hope
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/business/paul-weiss-trump-deal.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IU8.eUFq.yF2y4DSfcwk1&smid=url-share


To rivals of Paul Weiss, it was an opportunity.

Within days of Mr. Trump’s March 14 order, some of the biggest competitors were calling top lawyers at the beleaguered law firm — one of the nation’s most prestigious — asking if they wanted to jump ship along with their lucrative clients.

Several firms, including Sullivan & Cromwell and Kirkland & Ellis, were looking to exploit the moment, according to five lawyers with direct knowledge of the poaching. All the lawyers interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to talk about discussions that were supposed to remain private.

Another law firm, Perkins Coie, received a similar order, but decided to challenge it in court. At first, Paul Weiss hoped to create a unified front with other big law firms to challenge the order issued against it, too. But the threat of losing its top lawyers compounded worries that clients would flee.