There is a mass exodus of West Coast-based Willkie Farr partners leaving because the firm bent a knee to Donald Trump, pledging $100 million in pro bono payola to avoid an unconstitutional Executive Orders targeting the firm, and the tremendous harm that can bring. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, at least seven partners, six in San Francisco and one in Los Angeles, are leaving the yellow-bellied firm and heading to a firm committed to defending the rule of law. They’ll be moving to Cooley, a firm fighting for the rule of law and representing Jenner & Block in their challenge to the Trump EOs.
This mass departure is a potentially dire sign for Willkie’s San Francisco office.
The exodus of partners could decimate Willkie’s San Francisco office, which it opened six years ago to cater to California’s technology industry. The partners who are leaving Willkie include Simona Agnolucci and Benedict Hur, who helped launch the office and bring in top tech clients to the firm.
Though the partners — and their books of business — are the big headline here, the associates in the office were actually instrumental to getting the move done.
More junior lawyers at the firm help set the exit in motion. Shortly after Willkie announced the deal, a group of litigation associates made it clear to partners they were looking to leave, according to lawyers at the firm. The partners began making plans to bring their clients with them and looked for a firm they were sure wouldn’t sign a similar deal.
The associate exits have yet to be finalized, but many are also expected to leave Willkie, bringing the total number of departing lawyers to roughly 20.
That is pretty devastating. Willkie is far from the only firm that capitulated to Trump feeling the sting of departing legal talent. This should have been obvious to firm leaders *before* they inked their loser deals with Trump, but refusing to fight unconstitutional orders in court is a bad look for elite lawyers.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
