Law firms fielding 'tons' of calls from execs worrying Trump will come after them: report

Days after Donald Trump assumed the presidency corporate officers in executive suites are making panicked calls to lawyers over worries they may be targeted by the new administration for their hiring and promotion policies, according to a Thursday report.

According to a report from the New York Times, Trump's promised war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies has had a ripple effect that has executives at Fortune 500 companies looking over the shoulders and calling their lawyers for advice.

As the report notes, the president's executive order, which has shuttered DEI initiatives in the U.S. government and led to the establishment of a snitch line, could lead to lawsuits and DOJ harassment.

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Of note, the Times is reporting, is a directive for "each federal agency," to identify "up to nine potential civil compliance investigations” that includes a broad range of "publicly traded corporations, nonprofits and large foundations, among others."

According to NYU law professor Kenji Yoshino, "That discrete number is a way of striking fear into organizations’ hearts. They just don’t want to be one of those nine. Until those nine are announced, it’s going to cause others to be risk-averse.”

That, in turn, has led to panicked phone calls to law firms seeking guidance on everything from promotions to hiring interns.

"A managing partner of the law firm Jenner & Block, Ishan Bhabha, said since the executive order came down he has been getting 'tons' of calls from clients who are worried about whether their D.E.I. programs are in compliance," the Times is reporting. "He said it’s early days, and there could be legal challenges to the executive order or to administrative actions following it, but 'an executive order like this gives a good idea of what this administration’s priorities are going to be.'"

One ex-Apple executive suggested the threat from the Trump administration will make hiring more difficult.

“It’s the political environment we now live in, but it doesn’t change the needs of business,” Denise Young, former worldwide chief of human resources at Apple observed. “Talent comes in every shape of human existence.”

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