Four Top Paul Weiss Lawyers Exit Amid Trump Deal Controversy

Four prominent partners are departing Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP following the firm’s controversial agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump to lift an executive order that had targeted the law firm. In an internal email obtained by Reuters, Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee, and Jessica Phillips announced they are forming a new law firm.

“We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally… but we have decided to leave Paul Weiss to start a new law firm,” the partners wrote. They thanked colleagues for their friendship and professionalism but did not mention the Trump deal directly.

Paul Weiss recently pledged $40 million in pro bono legal services toward causes agreed upon with the Trump administration. Since then, at least eight other firms have entered similar agreements. The deal has raised eyebrows, especially given Paul Weiss’s traditionally liberal ties and the political backgrounds of the departing attorneys.

Karen Dunn, who co-chaired the litigation department, is a key Democratic figure, having served in the Obama White House and on Kamala Harris’s 2024 debate prep team. She also represents Google in the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust suit over digital advertising. Jeannie Rhee, who joined Paul Weiss in 2019, was part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation. Isaacson and Phillips came to the firm from Boies Schiller Flexner in 2020.

Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp thanked the departing lawyers, stating, “We are grateful for their many contributions.” Meanwhile, legal tensions with the Trump administration continue. A judge recently overturned Trump’s executive order against Jenner & Block, echoing a prior ruling in favor of Perkins Coie.

The four lawyers have not commented publicly on their departure.