TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Oct 2, 2025

Democrats in Congress are pressing three major law firms — Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden — for details on potential free legal work for the Commerce Department, which they argue may violate federal law and go beyond previously announced pro bono commitments. Lawmakers Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Adam Schiff of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pointed to reports that the firms assisted with tariff negotiations and Intel’s $8.9 billion deal involving the U.S. government, calling the work coercive and outside the stated focus on veterans, anti-Semitism and justice reforms. Bloomberg Law reports that the lawmakers warned the arrangements may stem from what they characterize as Trump administration “shakedown” deals that traded the rescission of punitive executive orders for promises of nearly $1 billion in free legal services. The firms face an Oct. 6 deadline to respond, but Democrats lack subpoena power to compel disclosure.