Cadwalader Partners Hit Exit Following Firm’s Deal With Trump

Two litigators at Manhattan’s Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft are leaving the firm after it struck a deal with President Donald Trump, pledging $100 million in free legal services on causes backed by the White House.

Cadwalader partners Phara Guberman and Kenneth Breen are joining Foley & Lardner, according to an internal email viewed by Bloomberg Law and a person familiar with the discussions.

“We wish Ken and Phara well and we thank them for their contributions to our firm,” a Cadwalader spokesperson said via email. Guberman, Breen, and Foley did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The firm’s deal with Trump contributed to the white collar lawyers’ decision to leave, according to the person familiar with the situation. Cadwalader and eight other law firms have pledged $940 million in free legal work in deals with Trump to avoid punitive executive orders like those the president has aimed at other firms.

Cadwalader is Wall Street’s oldest law firm and the former professional home to deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, who left the firm in order to take on work defending Trump before he was elected for a second term. The departures of Guberman and Breen follow the exit of J.B. Howard, a counsel who resigned in protest of the firm’s deal with Trump. Howard’s departure was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The White House deals saw Cadwalder and other firms commit to working for free on causes championed by Trump, including combating anti-semitism, assisting veterans, and “ensuring fairness” in the justice system. The agreements have been panned as a “shakedown” by Democrats and prompted questions about whether some of the world’s most powerful firms are now working directly for Trump.

Cadwalader’s challenges to hold onto partners predate its deal with Trump. The firm recently lost prominent real estate partner Bonnie Neuman to Sidley Austin, where she was joined by three colleagues. Litigation partner Jason Halper left for Vinson & Elkins in September, while four-person M&A team led by Richard Brand jumped to White & Case in February.

The firm spokesperson pushed back against the notion of challenges in partner retention.

“Cadwalader had a record year in 2024, and 2025 to date has been even stronger, with our financial performance beating last year in every category over the same period,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve also added five new lateral partners in the past three months and look forward to continued growth.”