The Big Law Democrats
Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor
As the US election heats up with the entry of Kamala Harris so too do the major law firms start lining up to whomever they feel will best suit America – or their business outlook.
Big Law showed a distinctly lukewarm approach to President Biden but has renewed their enthusiasm with the Harris elevation and following Biden’s stumbling debate performance with Donald Trump and stumbling at the steps of Air Force One and elsewhere.
The renewed enthusiasm for former prosecutor Kamala Harris is seen as a belief by many lawyers that she will protect the rule of law and maintain stability in financial markets.
Take Brad Karp, (pictured) the chair of Paul Weiss, who the Financial Times report has sent an email to nearly 300 lawyers calling for support for Harris.
The email has generated an enthusiastic response, with leaders from Cravath and senior figures at DLA Piper mobilizing their colleagues for the Democrat cause. An event scheduled for the autumn aims to raise up to $10 million for Harris’s campaign.
The push from senior lawyers coincides with Harris’s record-breaking fundraising efforts and growing support from influential business figures.
Big Law Democrat Supporters
Among the Big Law firms that are leading the fundraising efforts for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign apart from Paul Weiss and Cravath Swaine & Moore are:
- DLA Piper: Senior figures at DLA Piper are mobilizing support, and Doug Emhoff, Harris’s husband and former DLA Piper entertainment attorney, is also involved.
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: Lawyers from Skadden are known to be part of the support committee for Harris.
- Latham & Watkins LLP: The firm is also contributing to the fundraising and support efforts.
Other notable firms involved in the Harris campaign include Ropes & Gray, White & Case, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Cooley, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Sidley Austin
The Big Law Republican Brigade
While some firms with significant corporate clients, like Covington, are actively supporting Harris, Karp’s email list suggests some resistance remains within Big Law, with notable absences like Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day, which previously supported Trump.
Among the lesser known law firms that have supported Trump are:
- Elections LLC: The firm includes several Trump campaign attorneys and ex-White House lawyer Stefan Passantino. It has received substantial payments from Trump’s political committees for legal consulting and representation.
- Consovoy McCarthy: Lawyers from this firm, including William Consovoy, Patrick Strawbridge, and Cameron Norris, represent Trump in various legal matters, including long-running litigation related to the 2020 election.
- Habba Madaio & Associates LLP: Alina Habba, a prominent advocate for Trump, has represented him in numerous civil lawsuits, including defamation cases and the New York civil fraud trial.
- Lauro & Singer: John F. Lauro, from this firm, is representing Trump in the federal criminal case alleging attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
- Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White: Evan Corcoran from this firm has represented Trump in the investigation into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago.
These firms have been key players in Trump’s legal strategies and continue to support his political and legal endeavors although it is Jones Day and Kirkland & Ellis who are the big name firms that provide the highest Big Law support.
Silicon Valley Alignment
Silicon Valley has rooted from Harris with over 100 venture capitalists, including Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca, who pledged their support, forming the “VCs for Kamala” group.
Karp’s email, seen by the Financial Times, indicates a coordinated effort to raise funds and address potential legal issues over the next 100 days, including election integrity.
The email was sent to a list of influential lawyers, including Wachtell co-founder Marty Lipton, Cravath managing partner Faiza Saeed, and former US attorney-general Loretta Lynch, among others.
Additionally, a separate “Lawyers for Harris” group, co-led by former Alabama senator Doug Jones, and another black lawyers group lead by Letitia James is planning a launch call. Jon Henes, a former Kirkland and Ellis lawyer and long-time Democratic donor, has also reached out to major law firm chairs.
Jamie Gorelick and David Ogden, former deputy attorneys-general now at WilmerHale, along with 40 other former DOJ officials, recently endorsed Harris, emphasizing the importance of this election for the nation’s rule of law and democracy.
Karp, who also led efforts for Harris in 2019, plans to organize events with Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff, campaign strategists, and other surrogates in the coming weeks and months.
