WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump said Friday Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a top-ranked law firm in the country, has agreed to offer more than $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his term in office. This deal spares Skadden from potential punitive executive orders such as those exacted from other top firms.
The deal came after a succession of executive orders from the Trump administration aimed at large law firms like WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Perkins Coie. The orders have resulted in lawsuits to challenge their constitutionality. Skadden, on the other hand, moved ahead and engaged the administration proactively to settle.
As part of the deal, Skadden will devote a minimum of $100 million in pro bono work to causes that are both favored by the firm and the president. Such efforts include working with veterans, making the justice system fair, and fighting antisemitism. The firm has also agreed to hire on merit and will not withhold representation based on individual lawyers’ personal political opinions.
Skadden’s executive partner, Jeremy London, was pleased with the deal, saying that the firm is “pleased to have achieved a successful agreement with President Trump and his Administration.” He stressed the firm’s proactive approach and is eager to have a fruitful relationship with the administration.
This follows closely behind a similar deal between the administration and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. That law firm agreed to make $40 million in pro bono work available and to change its hiring practice, resulting in the revocation of an executive order aimed at them. The legal fraternity continues to be watchful as other companies, such as WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, take the administration’s orders to court.
The companies claim that the executive orders violate constitutional rights and the core tenets of legal representation.
