Seventh Paul Weiss Partner Ditches Law Firm for Dunn’s Shop (1)

Another Paul Weiss partner left the firm to join a group of prominent litigators at a new trial law boutique.

Melissa Zappala joined Dunn Isaacson Rhee Monday, she said in a LinkedIn post. The DC-based litigator, who has represented Facebook owner Meta Platforms and tech company Qualcomm, is the seventh Paul Weiss partner to jump to the new firm in the less than three weeks since it was unveiled.

Paul Weiss is seeing a stream partners head for the door after reaching a deal with President Donald Trump, in which the White House rescinded an executive order targeting the firm for its ties to lawyers the president perceives as enemies. The firm promised Trump $40 million in free legal services on shared causes, including combating antisemitism and ensuring “fairness in the justice system.” Eight other firms later reached similar deals to proactively avoid executive orders, pledging a total of nearly $1 billion in free legal services.

Partners Karen Dunn, Jeannie Rhee, William Isaacson, and Jessica Phillips left Paul Weiss in late May to launch the new firm. Their clients have included tech giants like Alphabet Inc.‘s Google, Meta, and Uber Technologies, Inc.. The firm later added Paul Weiss attorneys Kyle Smith and Rush Atkinson.

Several of the attorneys previously worked together at Manhattan’s Boies Schiller, before departing the firm in a wave of exits amid criticism over its work for Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Dunn Isaacson Rhee has rounded out its bench with former Paul Weiss associates Erica Spevack, Leah Hibbler, and Lyle Gruby.

Former Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams on Friday announced he leaving Paul Weiss for Jenner & Block, one of four law firms hit by executive orders who opted to fight Trump in court. Three of the firms have secured court rulings striking down the orders, while the fourth is waiting for a judge to rule after temporarily blocking much of the order against it.

Paul Weiss reported more than $2 billion in gross annual revenue last year, ranking among the 25 largest US-founded law firms. Its profits per equity partner reached nearly $6.6 million.