Law Firms
After 4 BigLaw firms reach deals with Trump, their future may include coal industry pro bono, DEI caution
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has some work for BigLaw firms that made pro bono pledges to avoid punitive executive orders. (Photo from Shutterstock)
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has some work for BigLaw firms that made pro bono pledges to avoid punitive executive orders.
Trump told coal miners at a White House event that he will direct the law firms to help the coal industry with leasing and also said he would use the firms to negotiate tariffs, report Bloomberg Law, Law.com and Law360.
Four firms have reached deals with Trump. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison agreed to provide $40 million in pro bono services to mutually supported pro bono projects. Three others each pledged $100 million in pro bono work. Those firms are Milbank; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
The deals called for pro bono work in areas that include assisting veterans and public servants, ensuring fairness in the justice system and fighting antisemitism. Milbank’s deal also mentions its work with an exoneration and resentencing project.
Another pledge made by firms was to commit to merit-based employments practices and to refrain from illegal discrimination and preferences related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Following its deal, Skadden removed future events for its employee affinity groups from its calendar, Bloomberg Law reports in a story based on emails and unnamed sources.
During the event Tuesday, Trump signed four executive orders to help the coal industry, the Washington Post reports. One order directs the Department of the Interior to prioritize coal leasing on public lands.
Others tell the attorney general to block enforcement of state laws that impede coal production, tell the Environmental Protection Agency to delay a federal pollution rule that burdens coal-fired power plants, and direct the Department of Energy to prevent the closing of coal and other power plants in regions with an insufficient supply of electricity.
Law360 recounted Trump’s comments.
“Have you noticed a lot of law firms have been signing up with Trump? A hundred million dollars, another $100 million, for damages that they’ve done,” Trump said.
“But they give you $100 million, and then they announce that, ‘But we have done nothing wrong,’” he said. “And I agree, they’ve done nothing wrong, but what the hell, they give me a lot of money considering they’ve done nothing wrong.”
“We’ll use some of those people. We’re going to use some of those firms to work with you on your leasing and your other things,” Trump said. “I think they’re going to do a fantastic job.”
Coal miners and executives were among those attending the event.
Trump began issuing executive orders penalizing disfavored firms in February, beginning with a Feb. 25 order targeting Covington & Burling. Three other firms sued in response to the orders. They are Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Jenner & Block and Perkins Coie.
The executive orders typically called for suspension of lawyers’ security clearances, restricted employee access to government buildings, blocked government hiring of firm employees, and required agencies to take steps to terminate contracts with the firms and their clients—if the firm provided services in connection with the client contract.
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