BigLaw Hall of Shame

It's genuinely hard to express to sort of normal not politically plugged in non-lawyers *how* lawless the Trump administration is, and I think that's some part of the problem.

You sound like you're hyperventilating, but it's just a flat description of what is going on.

PS According to Above the Law, Latham and Watkins has annual revenue of $5.69 billion and profits per equity partner of $5.5 million. They could have afforded to take a stand if they wanted to. They didn't want to.

Even more fundamentally, we are facing an unprecedented assault on the rule of law. As leaders in the profession (not to mention some of the richest and most powerful people in the country) L&W have a *special responsibility* to stand up against this illegality. Instead...they embraced it. 😠/thread

The Trump Administration: First 100 Days | Latham & Watkins New Trump Administration: First 100 Days, published by Latham & Watkins, provides insights on the shifting regulatory and legal landscape.

The DEI retreat is disgusting, cowardly, and dispiriting, but more fundamentally: how can anyone take this firm seriously ever again? Latham has a website tracking the Administration's first 100 days. What a joke. Why would anyone trust them to be forthright or accurate on the Trump Administration?

(Now-deleted) quote from Latham & Watkin's website, "Strengthening DEI among our lawyers and staff remains a strategic imperative" Abid R. Qureshi, Chair, Diversity Leadership Committee

Hey Abid R. Qureshi, is strengthening DEI still a "strategic imperative" at Latham and Watkins? Don't answer that. We already know.

(Now-deleted) quote from Latham & Watkin's website, "DEI is embedded in our DNA. This brings us togehter, sets us apart, and makes us Latham." Shreya Ramesh, Associate

Hey Shreya Ramesh, is DEI still "embedded in" the "DNA" of your firm?

Text from Latham and Watkins website, now deleted: At Latham & Watkins, you belong as you are. We are on a mission to strengthen DEI as a distinguishing feature of our culture, advancing DEI in our profession and communities. As a global law firm, Latham & Watkins is uniquely positioned to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our profession and in our communities. We value all of our colleagues and their perspectives, we fight for social justice, and we educate ourselves to be better allies for each other. We recruit talent representing a diversity of perspectives and strengthen our organization by investing in, developing and promoting talent. At Latham, the responsibility to advance DEI is shared by all of our colleagues, from our leadership to our most junior attorneys to our staff. Latham’s Diversity Leadership Committee (DLC) and Staff Diversity and Inclusion Department spearhead our DEI strategy and work to strengthen and promote Latham as a workplace where the best and brightest professionals — including those underrepresented in the legal industry — excel and find support to become firm and industry leaders. Our Women Enriching Business (WEB) Committee serves as a network for growth, opportunity, and advancement of women within the firm and the profession, with a particular emphasis on business development and facilitating connections with Latham lawyers and clients. We have a distinct responsibility as legal advocates to combat ingrained, institutional racism and other inequities. This includes looking inward and strengthening our inclusive culture through concrete actions, allyship, and collective learning. It also includes using our skills and knowledge as one of the largest providers of pro bono legal services to work on matters aimed at advancing racial equality, promoting equal opportunity, and supporting those most affected by systemic inequities.

What happened to Latham's "distinct responsibility as legal advocates to combat ingrained, institutional racism and other inequities?" There is nothing wrong with "advancing racial equality, promoting equal opportunity, and supporting those most affected by systemic inequities." For LW? *poof* gone.

Cover page of Latham and Watkins's now deleted "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" page. Corporate graphic with abstract designs.

Here's what Latham and Watkins deleted from its website: just a stunning about-face and retreat from values they called "a distinguishing feature of our culture." They had a 42-person DEI committee. Gone now from the site. Does it still exist behind closed doors? What kind of message does that send?

Latham & Watkins's craven BigLaw capitulation to Trump is horrifying but not surprising. It's so much more than a pro bono pledge. EVERY case *and position* they take will be guided by this now. And they have forever changed their culture. Until last month, DEI was "in their DNA." Receipts below. 🧵

Are you me?

BigLaw in a nutshell

By working for Trump, S&C aren't just cashing a very large check. They are currying favor with a wannabe dictator on behalf of their corporate clients who they think might be targeted, or rewarded, depending on Trump's lawless whims or even payoffs. That's just buying into fascism. And very not OK.

Trump doesn't need the "best," most highly pedigreed lawyers in the country to represent him. As @gshans.bsky.social has written, "power and resources are the fulcrum." S&C is not standing up for constitutional protections for vulnerable populations who cannot afford representation. (con't)

Why is it so gross? We have to spell it out? It's not OK to represent someone who cheated in an election; launched a coup against the US; is openly fascist and hostile to democracy; unrepentantly racist; clearly compromised and obsequious to hostile foreign interests; and—JUST as important—a rapist.

Trump hires new lawyers to appeal his hush money conviction The lawyers will replace Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial last spring.

Wow. #SullivanCromwell just earned lifetime status in the #BigLaw Hall of Shame. S&C is repping Trump in his criminal appeal for diverting campaign $$—aka cheating in an election. This "prestigious" "white shoe" firm filled with highly pedigreed lawyers thinks this is OK. It's not. It's disgusting.

The thing is, I feel like if someone truly, accidentally, & unintentionally made a n*zi salute on a national stage, they would be appropriately horrified by it and apologize. And when they don’t ….. it says everything.

I wonder how Kathleen Sullivan sleeps at night knowing that the firm that has her name on the door represents a dangerous #Nazi, aka Elon #Musk.

She just retired apparently, but her name is still on the door: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and SULLIVAN, LLP. And her contact info is still on the website.

Quinn Emanuel, step right up! You work for a Nazi! What are you going to do about it!

#quinnemanuel #shame

Quinn Emanuel, step right up! You work for a Nazi! What are you going to do about it!

#quinnemanuel #shame

Elon Musk did a Nazi salute twice on national television at the ceremony marking the transition from one president to another. It’s now blatantly, unmistakenly clear: #Elon #Musk is a Nazi.

Alex Spiro and Quinn Emanuel are his #lawyers.

You know what you call someone who works for a Nazi? A #Nazi.

BOOM!

Has anyone read "Look What You Made Me Do: Confronting Heartbreak & Harassment in Big Law" by Erin Gordon? Looks essential for those who find large corporate law firms and the way they work problematic.

eringordonauthor.com/look-what-yo...

Also: DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE TILES ON THE COVER? I do!

We're inspired in part by The Flaw magazine @theflawmagazine.bsky.social - give them a follow!

Dechert, Mintz Levin, and Mofo represented Mindgeek (Pornhub's parent company) and individual defendants. Quinn Emanuel was also involved. Kudos to Brown Rudnick, though, for representing the plaintiff.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

2/2

Our first example: a case with truly horrific facts (CW). A child porn victim claimed Visa knew Pornhub hosted a huge amount of child porn and the site's owner failed to police its sites for such content. Weil Gotshal argued she didn't have standing. The court disagreed. Fleites v. Mindgeek 1/

If you want to submit an example, just mention @biglawhallofshame.bsky.social and we'll take a look!

Hello and welcome to the #BigLaw Hall of Shame. Example by example, we expose the role large law firms play in perpetuating injustice, reinforcing corporate power, and bolstering reactionary forces in America.

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#biglawhallofshame
#injustice
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#greed
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