Paul Weiss Gets the Presidential Cold Shoulder
President Trump has signed an executive order targeting Paul Weiss suspending security clearances and restricting government access for its lawyers and employees, in the same manner as his well-publicized moves against Perkins Coie. The move marks Trump’s third swipe at a law firm since returning to office.
The executive order specifically names Mark Pomerantz, (pictured) who previously oversaw the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into Trump’s business practices.
Interestingly, Paul Weiss points out that Pomerantz “retired from the firm in 2012” and hasn’t been affiliated with them for years.
Trump didn’t randomly choose Friday to drop this bombshell. The order came on the same day he made a rare appearance at the Department of Justice, where he took the opportunity to blast prosecutors who had previously pursued cases against him. Talk about making a statement!
Lawyers have been watching these actions with growing alarm.
Just two days earlier, Federal Judge Beryl Howell temporarily blocked parts of a similar executive order targeting Perkins Coie, ruling it unconstitutional. Howell didn’t mince words, describing the administration’s actions as “terrifying” to the legal community and noting that the DOJ’s supporting arguments sent “chills down my spine”.
Democratic Connections
It’s probably no coincidence that Paul Weiss houses some Democratic heavyweights, including former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. The firm was also among the biggest donors to Democrats and Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.
The White House is framing this as a national security review, stating the order will “suspend security clearances held by individuals at Paul Weiss pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest”.
But with the language mirroring the already-contested Perkins Coie order, this latest move seems destined for its own legal challenge.
With judges already pushing back against the presidential orders, along with law associates and the ABA, the question isn’t if this will end up in court, but when.
