By Mike Scarcella (Reuters) – Amid challenges to U.S. President Donald Trump’s series of executive actions in court, eight prominent corporate law firms have stepped forward to represent plaintiffs leading the legal fight over the past two weeks. These firms, including WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and Arnold & Porter, have previously opposed Trump policies – such as immigration restrictions targeting certain majority Muslim countries – during his first term.
They are once again partnering with liberal advocacy groups and other challengers to add legal weight to lawsuits aimed at Trump’s recent crackdown on illegal immigration and transgender rights, as well as the administration’s dismissal of officials and cuts to federal spending on health research and foreign aid.
The involvement of private law firms in these cases drew criticism from Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of Trump, who questioned on his social media platform X, “Which law firms are behind these anti-democratic cases trying to obstruct the will of the people?” While WilmerHale, one of the firms representing agency inspectors general fired by Trump, has previously worked with Musk’s company Tesla, no immediate comment was provided by Tesla on the matter.
Seth Waxman, a partner at WilmerHale, cited attorney-client privilege rules as prohibiting him from discussing the firm’s role in the new case or any other client-related work. Other firms involved in the lawsuits against the administration either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries about their participation in the cases or Musk’s remarks.
Although ethics standards bar lawyers from taking cases where one client’s interests conflict with another’s, clients do not necessarily need to agree on their lawyers’ legal actions, according to legal experts. Corporate law firms often engage in pro bono work on cases involving public policy issues, especially when significant legal resources are required.
Legal scholars noted that Musk’s social media post to his 217 million followers underscored the attention and potential risks that such cases could attract in the current politically charged climate. Law firm political action committees contributed approximately $3.7 million to Democratic candidates and $4.7 million to Republicans during the 2023-2024 U.S. election cycle, as per data from the Federal Election Commission compiled by the non-profit Open Secrets.
Typically, large law firms with PACs divide their donations between both parties, with Arnold & Porter’s PAC, for instance, contributing $54,000 to Democrats and $80,000 to Republicans in the 2024 cycle. Since his return to office, Trump has swiftly implemented measures to curb illegal immigration, dismantle diversity programs, revoke transgender protections, and exert greater control over federal spending and personnel.
Various groups, including grant recipients, Democratic state attorneys general, and advocacy organizations, have filed over 50 lawsuits challenging these actions.
The administration’s actions are being challenged by a number of law firms, with eight prominent firms leading the charge in 11 cases. These firms, each boasting hundreds of lawyers, are joined by some smaller law firms in their fight against the administration. In one instance, Arnold & Porter has joined forces with advocacy groups to file a lawsuit against Trump’s attempt to revoke automatic birthright citizenship in the United States. Perkins Coie is taking on cases representing plaintiffs challenging Trump’s limitations on transgender military service. Jenner & Block is also actively participating in litigation concerning transgender rights and is involved in a lawsuit aimed at reversing research funding cuts.
Despite the active involvement of these firms, it is noted that around two dozen of the largest U.S. law firms that were engaged in lawsuits during Trump’s first term have yet to appear in new cases. Christopher Clark, a lawyer at Lambda Legal overseeing its pro bono collaborations with law firms, anticipates the need for more firms to join in as litigation against the administration progresses. “Based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re going to be very, very busy,” Clark stated.
This information was reported by Mike Scarcella in Washington, with editing conducted by David Bario, Amy Stevens, and Alistair Bell.
