Milbank reached an agreement with the Trump administration, becoming the latest firm to strike a deal with the president as he seeks to punish perceived enemies in the legal profession. Milbank’s deal comes a day after Willkie struck a similar agreement to head off an executive order targeting its business, joining Wall Street powerhouses Paul Weiss and Skadden in making concessions to the president to protect their businesses. Read more about Milbank’s agreement.
Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block have challenged executive orders against them in court, reflecting a deepening divide in the legal community over how to respond to Trump’s efforts to punish his perceived enemies in the profession and root out diversity-based hiring, which he deems discriminatory. Judges have blocked key portions of those orders.
Beyond powerful law firms, President Trump has managed to wring concessions out of several other targets, including Columbia University, Meta and Disney, setting what some view as damaging precedents.
In just 10 weeks in office, Trump has leveraged power in ways no other modern U.S. president has tried. Many of Trump's actions are being challenged in courts, where some judges have tried to slow him down.
James Oliphant and Jeff Mason have more on the speed and breadth of the president’s actions that have caught Democrats, public-service unions, CEOs and the legal profession off guard.
