Five major firms, including Kirkland, A&O Shearman and Latham & Watkins, have agreed to provide $600 million in pro bono work to avoid Trump executive orders.
The deal ends diversity and inclusion probes into four of the firms.
A&O Shearman, Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher, Latham & Watkins and Cadwalader have made agreements with the Trump government, committing a combined $600 million in pro bono work to causes backed by the president.
The deals are part of a wider push to avoid executive orders and close the workplace discrimination probes into four of the firms launched by a US government agency last month.
The deals
Announced by Trump on Friday (11 April) on his Truth Social account, the deals see A&O, Kirkland, Simpson Thacher and Latham each commit $125 million in pro bono advice, with Cadwalader pledging at least $100 million.
The firms also commit to “merit-based hiring, promotion, and retention” practices.
In return, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has dropped its investigations into the firms’ diversity and inclusion programmes, which the White House had claimed were unlawful.
Last month, the EEOC sent letters to 20 major firms in the US requesting details about their diversity policies, including information on all lawyers and partners hired since 2019.
In a joint statement, the four biggest firms said they looked forward to a "constructive and productive relationship with President Trump and his team" and had resolved the matter while upholding the values important to each of them.
Cadwalader, which was not part of the EEOC probe, said its agreement was "consistent with the principles that have guided Cadwalader for over 230 years."
Bigger picture
The deals follow a wave of executive orders issued by the White House targeting firms seen as politically unfriendly, including Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, Paul Weiss and - on Wednesday this week (9 April) - Susman Godfrey.
Some of those firms have taken legal action and won temporary injunctions, arguing the orders are unconstitutional.
Others, including Skadden, Milbank and Willkie Farr, have struck pre-emptive deals with Trump, each committing $100 million in pro bono work to avoid further targeting.
In total, nine firms have now pledged at least $940 million in services since Trump launched the campaign.
At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump said: "We have a lot of law firms that have paid me a lot of money”, adding “Now we have the final four or five at $125 million."
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