Wake Up Call: Firms Step Back From Anti-Trump Aid in Big Law War

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Winston & Strawn, Sidley Austin, and Kirkland & Ellis have all backed away from high-profile cases that could draw President Trump’s ire, weakening legal challenges to his administration. Winston declined to represent FBI agents fearing retaliation after Trump officials demanded names tied to the Jan. 6 investigation. Sidley, long-time counsel to the American Bar Association, also stopped representing the group in litigation against Trump policies. Kirkland, once a key ally in LGBTQ+ and immigration cases, is now absent from similar lawsuits. (ProPublica)
• Virginia Commonwealth University hired Husch Blackwell to investigate allegations of a hostile work environment within its L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. The probe has drawn a pre-emptive legal challenge from former Gov. Doug Wilder, the former Richmond mayor whom the school is named after. (Richmonder)
• CMS IndusLaw and Dentons Link Legal, two firms targeted by the Bar Council of India for their international alliances, have issued rebuttals denying any violations of regulatory norms. Dentons Link Legal launched in India in 2023 as the country’s “first global law firm combination” and said in its defense that it is “wholly owned, controlled and managed by Indian advocates.” (Economic Times)
• Milbank completed a move of its Washington office to a new home at 1101 New York Avenue NW. The new office spans over 64,000 square feet and will house the firm’s bankruptcy litigation, transportation and space, Supreme Court and appellate, and global risk and national security practices. (Milbank)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Aresh Homayoun joined Troutman Pepper Locke as a partner in its tax and benefits practice group in Washington. He joins from Morris, Manning & Martin.
• Daniel Pascucci joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its litigation practice group in San Diego. He joins from Mintz.
• Barbara Klepper joined Foley Hoag as a partner in its tax practice in Washington.
• Michael Justus joined Carlton Fields as a shareholder in its intellectual property practice in Tampa. He joins from Katten Muchin Rosenman.