Trump Strikes Deal With Willkie, Law Firm of Doug Emhoff

[highplainsdem]

Source: Bloomberg

Willkie Farr & Gallagher is committing at least $100 million in pro bono work to causes aligned to “conservative ideals,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

Willkie is the third major law firm to strike a deal with Trump, following similar pledges by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. It comes as the president has issued a string of executive orders targeting firms for their ties to Trump’s perceived allies and work on causes he opposes.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-01/trump-strikes-deal-with-willkie-law-firm-home-to-doug-emhoff

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Trump is boasting about it on Truth Social.

Bluesky post from journalist Matt Novak with screenshots of Trump's Truth Social post:

https://bsky.app/profile/paleofuture.bsky.social/post/3llrqvj5dnk2t

[marybourg]

1. Shameful!

[HereForTheParty]

30. Emhoff needs to resign

That would make a statement. Kamala's husband simply going along with it is a terrible look.

[wnylib]

2. How is this even legal and not a case of extortion?

[NotHardly]

20. It is but who has the balls to bring it? (crikets)

[BidenRocks]

29. Marc Elias !

The other firms must be dirty in some way.
Law firms settling? Unheard of.

[NCDem47]

3. I simply can't believe these law firms are doing this!!

I'm dead serious, there must be something UUUGLY that Trump and his minions are holding over these folks or are promising to do.

It just doesn't make any sense unless they don't want a protracted legal fight.

Please, somebody educate me.

[bluestarone]

5. Very ugly

Will we ever know?

[pwb]

4. Isn't that extortion?

Our wealth class are disappointing to me.

[JohnSJ]

6. Fuck them. That means they can't take clients who represent cases against trump.

Last edited Tue Apr 1, 2025, 08:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Talk is cheap. The actions of these law firms tell you exactly who they are.

Any Democratic clients these firms have should immediately find a new law firm that represents Democratic values.

[NotHardly]

21. FIFY below

Any Democratic clients these firms have should immediately find a new law firm that represents Democratic values. Not these weak sisters ...the vast majority of most of these ball-less surrender-monkeys .are dudes, not sisters.

[JohnSJ]

23. Agreed and edited accordingly, because of sexist terminology I used. Thanks.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

7. 🐔💩💩❗️

[hlthe2b]

8. Ugggh. Intensely shameful.

If anyone could stand to fight, it would be these big law firms full of exceptional litigants.

Well, I guess I MAY have my answer as to whether Doug or Kamala will join us in the fight. I acknowledge that Emhoff may be as pissed as I am about this, but, we shall see.

[displacedvermoter]

11. His resignation should be forthcoming

and if not, we will know where he really stands on democracy.

[displacedvermoter]

12. As far as I can tell he is a partner as of January 25

[displacedvermoter]

40. I guess his resignation isn't forthcoming

and that really does say an awful lot!

[flamingdem]

9. Is he still working there?

Major revenge type move.

[Easterncedar]

10. That pro bono work is gonna be sloppy

The caving is shameful, sure, but I bet they think it is never happening, and if they ever have to put in an appearance the hourly rates are going to be astronomical.

[newdeal2]

22. This is my guess too

This "investment" was probably already happening, just being re-branded and packaged as a concession to Trump.

I still don't like it.

Now if they start dropping anti-Trump clients and lawyers, we're in even bigger trouble.

[Bengus81]

13. Did you clowns suck his dick too? My fucking GAWD.........

$100 MILLION in free work for Conservative causes?? How about $100 million FREE to people FUCKED over by Corporations??

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. This is disappointing-I have done a good number of deals with that firm

I am disappointed

[IcyPeas]

15. #/%&*?! .. why? FFS

#/%&*?! ...

[Wingus Dingus]

16. What country are we in? I don't recognize it anymore.

[PSPS]

17. This is fascism 101.

And it's working.

So far, they're getting capitulation from the most important three: media, law firms and intellectuals (i.e., colleges.)

[msongs]

18. prostituting themselves to trump will not keep them outta the box cars. maybe they'll be first nt

[alarimer]

19. Fucking cowards

Why the fuck are they all caving?

[Bengus81]

24. Because many have their seven figure income,the mansion with the pool,

maybe a Ferrari in the garage, trips and vacations on a private jet and fat FUCKING tax cuts for themselves. What do they care about SS, medicaid, suffering or anything else?

They just want their lives of LUXURY to continue unabated no matter how many times they have to kiss Trumps ass.

[mdbl]

25. WTF do they think they are going to be doing?

Working on making it easier for Dump and his minions to break the law?

[dchill]

26. I wouldn't seem that they're very good lawyers.

But they're excellent surrender monkeys.

[kimbutgar]

27. It's like a mafia takedown

It you don’t do what I want I will destroy you.

So BS that they caved. I hope they lose business.

[barbtries]

28. well.

this makes me feel sick.

[IbogaProject]

31. That 100 milion should be taxed

So they can't claim it as a donation or expense.

[Ruby the Liberal]

32. I look forward to him being the only client of these complicit cowards

Welcome to irrelevance, Willkie Farr.

[V850i]

33. Democrats should threaten the same

What's fair is fair. Democrats should tell these law firms that Democrats expect to be treated fairly and demand at least $100M (adjusted for inflation which looks to be a lot) of pro bono work if we have a fair election in 2028 and Democrats win. Otherwise we will bar them from federal buildings etc... etc....

[lonely bird]

34. The capitulation of lawyers

Is critical for fascism.

[Bettie]

35. Apparently, the law

isn't a thing anymore. It's just whatever the orange menace wants.

And most of the rich people are ready to accept whatever he demands, because they get to pay less in taxes.

The rest of us? Well, we're fucked, but hey, they live lives where they don't have to ever so much as see one of us, so it's cool.

[Boomerproud]

37. Sadly, every word you typed is true.

[Bettie]

38. I was talking to my DH yesterday

about how we both learned in school that the United States is a country of laws, that no man is above the law, it applies equally to rich and poor.

We were taught that our government has checks and balances which would keep a tyrant from taking over.

And that most people are decent. That one is the biggest lie of all.

Well, we're not kids anymore and it is blindingly obvious that none of that is true. Some of it is now darkly hilarious.

[orleans]

36. i can't even begin to say how i feel about this...

so i'll just copy the 3 replies from doug's only post on blue sky from four months ago...
a few people have replied to it regarding this news:

5 hrs ago
What's going on Willkie?

3 hrs ago
How could your firm bend over for trump? And Tim Heaphy, too? Unbelievable

2 hrs ago
Did you go along with your firm’s capitulation to trump?

https://bsky.app/profile/secondgentlemann.bsky.social/post/3lbn4ky4l2s2e

[Paladin]

39. Thanks for absolutely nothing, Big Law.

Aiding and abetting the destruction of whatever remains of this country's democracy. We won't forget this.