Trump Hits WilmerHale With Executive Order Over Mueller Ties (2)

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order against WilmerHale, the fifth major law firm attacked by the White House in the last month.

The order directs federal agencies to scrap contracts with the firm’s clients, revoke lawyers’ security clearances, and restrict their access to certain US buildings. The president targeted the firm over its ties to Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who led a probe into the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged coordination with Russian state officials.

“Mueller’s investigation epitomizes the weaponization of government,” Trump said in the order.

The president has issued similar directives against law firms Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, and Jenner & Block. He also pulled security clearances for certain lawyers at Covington & Burling over its connections to another former special counsel, Jack Smith.

A WilmerHale spokesperson touted Mueller’s “distinguished career in public service” and the firm’s “longstanding tradition of representing a wide range of clients, including in matters against administrations of both parties.”

“We look forward to pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order,” the spokesperson said.

WilmerHale and Perkins Coie are also among 20 major law firms hit earlier this month with federal investigations for employment discrimination in their diversity programs. WilmerHale “discriminates against its employees based on race and other categories prohibited by civil rights laws, including through the use of race-based ‘targets,’” Trump said in the order.

DC Powerhouse

WilmerHale is an international law firm best known for its litigation expertise, with more than 1,100 lawyers and 12 offices in the US and Europe. It’s the 45th largest law firm in the US and brought in nearly $1.5 billion in gross revenue in 2023, according to the American Lawyer.

Its clients include Gilead, Comcast, T-Mobile, and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. WilmerHale handled antitrust and data-harvesting cases for the social media and technology company, raking in almost $75 million in fees from the company in 2023.

Mueller, a veteran federal prosecutor who headed the FBI for 12 years, practiced at WilmerHale until 2021. Up until around the 2024 presidential election, he was still featured on the firm’s website as a “retired partner.” WilmerHale has since updated the web page to state: “Robert S. Mueller III is no longer with our firm.”

The president has repeatedly decried Mueller’s probe as a witch hunt or hoax. The investigation concluded there was no coordination with Russia officials, but it led to the conviction of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort for bank fraud and conspiracy.

Trump also slammed the firm for hiring partners Aaron Zebley and James Quarles after they worked with Mueller. The president’s March 25 order targeting Jenner & Block singled out former firm partner Andrew Weissmann, the ex-Justice Department official who was a top member of Mueller’s special counsel team.

Trump cited the Russia investigation in a March 6 order against Perkins Coie. A former partner at the firm, Marc Elias, was involved with opposition research that also alleged Russian influence.

WilmerHale steered several election suits for Democrats in the run up to last year’s election. The firm’s lawyers also are suing the Trump administration to challenge some of the president’s actions after retaking the White House.

Former Solicitor General Seth Waxman and ex-deputy attorney general David Ogden, both firm partners, filed a complaint in February on behalf of eight inspectors general of federal agencies who were terminated as part of the White House’s wide-ranging purge of federal employees.

Judge Ana Reyes, who is overseeing the litigation, on Thursday told Waxman to thank his firm for taking on the case. It’s “important for law firms to stand up for” people who need legal representation, Reyes said during a hearing.

One of the firms earlier targeted by Trump is no longer facing his wrath. Paul Weiss persuaded the president to rescind an order against it after agreeing to commit $40 million in free legal services to support Trump’s agenda. The firm also agreed to an independent audit of its diversity program.

— With reporting by Tiana Headley.