Attorneys working at a law firm that just cut a deal with President Donald Trump are reportedly in open revolt.
The Bulwark's Sam Stein reports that more than 500 associate attorneys and staff at Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP signed a letter imploring the firm not to take an offer from Trump to do pro bono work on behalf of his administration in exchange for him not revoking security clearances.
The letter sent to leadership emphasizes that while the firm is "facing an unprecedented threat, and that there are no risk-free options in these circumstances" and then adds that "we firmly believe that agreements of this nature contribute to the degradation of the rule of law in the United States" and that "we firmly believe that a similar agreement would be detrimental to A&O Shearman’s business interests both in the United States and internationally, in terms of client relationships, employee retention, recruitment, and the firm’s US and global reputation, both now and in the future."
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Stein describes the letter as an "uprising" against the firm's leadership and an indication that there is considerable dissent from within the legal community about resigning to the president's threats.
"It suggests that angst over these settlements is hitting a boiling point among mid- and lower-level associates—many of whom believe that earlier deals cut by firms only emboldened the White House to continue targeting the industry," writes Stein.