{"id":120198,"date":"2025-05-23T16:03:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T00:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/23\/paul-weiss-rainmakers-bolt-to-start-new-firm-free-of-trump-deal-restrictions\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T16:03:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T00:03:31","slug":"paul-weiss-rainmakers-bolt-to-start-new-firm-free-of-trump-deal-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/23\/paul-weiss-rainmakers-bolt-to-start-new-firm-free-of-trump-deal-restrictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Weiss Rainmakers Bolt To Start New Firm Free Of Trump Deal Restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well, well, well. If it isn\u2019t the consequences of Paul Weiss\u2019s own actions.<\/p>\n

Earlier today, American Lawyer reported that Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jessica Phillips, and Jeannie Rhee are leaving Paul Weiss<\/a> in the wake of its surrender to the Trump administration. They apparently dropped this news on the firm at today\u2019s partnership meeting. <\/p>\n

Stone. Cold.<\/p>\n

Just the other day, we reviewed a letter from Paul Weiss responding to a legislative inquiry<\/a>. In blowing off any suggestion that the deal breached legal or ethical standards, the firm wrote, \u201cthe agreement does not (and could not) permit the Administration to determine what matters we take on.\u201d <\/p>\n

It seems several of the firm\u2019s most prominent litigators disagreed with that assessment. The group plans to start their own firm to take on the Trump administration without being constricted by the vague Paul Weiss \u201csettlement\u201d agreement that Trump believes gives him a level of control over the firm\u2019s work. And while the firm itself denies Trump\u2019s reading, it\u2019s difficult to imagine how the firm that \u2014 in its own words \u2014 claims that Trump\u2019s retaliatory executive order if allowed to go into effect \u201cwould destroy the firm, even if we ultimately prevailed in court\u201d can put up much of a fight<\/a> when Trump chooses to define the deal his way.<\/p>\n

I mean\u2026 if the firm honestly believes the threat of an executive order is existential, then it doesn\u2019t really have much leverage when Trump inevitably comes back around.<\/p>\n

And the American Lawyer article suggests that at least Dunn and Rhee see it\u2026 more or less exactly that way:<\/p>\n

\n

One Paul Weiss partner, speaking anonymously to speak freely, said that both Rhee and Dunn were involved in the internal discussions over the Trump administration\u2019s executive order against the firm and both supported the firm\u2019s decision to make a deal with Trump to rescind the order. But, the source said, they wanted to be able to sue the Trump administration \u201cwithout limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In other words: yes, an executive order would be existential for Paul Weiss, and yes, the deal hamstrings the firm\u2019s ability to act freely with regard to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\n

The partner source said the firm believed the moves would have \u201cno impact\u201d on the financials of Paul Weiss but would not elaborate further.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sure. Losing *checks notes* GOOGLE is probably not going to make a dent at all. In all seriousness, Paul Weiss makes a lot of its bread on the transactional side, so the firm gravy train won\u2019t stop over this. But that\u2019s a lot of litigation dough leaving the building.<\/p>\n

And so they\u2019re off to set up a new firm. Expect several other lawyers to come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

Karen Dunn and 3 Other Paul Weiss Partners Exiting Firm<\/a> [American Lawyer]<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Trump\u2019s Biglaw Bootlickers Say Quiet Part Out Loud In Letters To Congress<\/a><\/p>\n

The post Paul Weiss Rainmakers Bolt To Start New Firm Free Of Trump Deal Restrictions<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well, well, well. If it isn\u2019t the consequences of Paul Weiss\u2019s own actions.<\/p>\n

Earlier today, American Lawyer reported that Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jessica Phillips, and Jeannie Rhee are leaving Paul Weiss<\/a> in the wake of its surrender to the Trump administration. They apparently dropped this news on the firm at today\u2019s partnership meeting. <\/p>\n

Stone. Cold.<\/p>\n

Just the other day, we reviewed a letter from Paul Weiss responding to a legislative inquiry<\/a>. In blowing off any suggestion that the deal breached legal or ethical standards, the firm wrote, \u201cthe agreement does not (and could not) permit the Administration to determine what matters we take on.\u201d <\/p>\n

It seems several of the firm\u2019s most prominent litigators disagreed with that assessment. The group plans to start their own firm to take on the Trump administration without being constricted by the vague Paul Weiss \u201csettlement\u201d agreement that Trump believes gives him a level of control over the firm\u2019s work. And while the firm itself denies Trump\u2019s reading, it\u2019s difficult to imagine how the firm that \u2014 in its own words \u2014 claims that Trump\u2019s retaliatory executive order if allowed to go into effect \u201cwould destroy the firm, even if we ultimately prevailed in court\u201d can put up much of a fight<\/a> when Trump chooses to define the deal his way.<\/p>\n

I mean\u2026 if the firm honestly believes the threat of an executive order is existential, then it doesn\u2019t really have much leverage when Trump inevitably comes back around.<\/p>\n

And the American Lawyer article suggests that at least Dunn and Rhee see it\u2026 more or less exactly that way:<\/p>\n

\n

One Paul Weiss partner, speaking anonymously to speak freely, said that both Rhee and Dunn were involved in the internal discussions over the Trump administration\u2019s executive order against the firm and both supported the firm\u2019s decision to make a deal with Trump to rescind the order. But, the source said, they wanted to be able to sue the Trump administration \u201cwithout limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In other words: yes, an executive order would be existential for Paul Weiss, and yes, the deal hamstrings the firm\u2019s ability to act freely with regard to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\n

The partner source said the firm believed the moves would have \u201cno impact\u201d on the financials of Paul Weiss but would not elaborate further.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sure. Losing *checks notes* GOOGLE is probably not going to make a dent at all. In all seriousness, Paul Weiss makes a lot of its bread on the transactional side, so the firm gravy train won\u2019t stop over this. But that\u2019s a lot of litigation dough leaving the building.<\/p>\n

And so they\u2019re off to set up a new firm. Expect several other lawyers to come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

Karen Dunn and 3 Other Paul Weiss Partners Exiting Firm<\/a> [American Lawyer]<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Trump\u2019s Biglaw Bootlickers Say Quiet Part Out Loud In Letters To Congress<\/a><\/p>\n

The post Paul Weiss Rainmakers Bolt To Start New Firm Free Of Trump Deal Restrictions<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, well, well. If it isn\u2019t the consequences of Paul Weiss\u2019s own actions. Earlier today, American Lawyer reported that Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jessica Phillips, and Jeannie Rhee are leaving Paul Weiss in the wake of its surrender to the Trump administration. They apparently dropped this news on the firm at today\u2019s partnership meeting. Stone. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":120199,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/paul_weiss_rifkind_wharton__garrison_llp_logo-8DyrGH.jpeg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}