Milbank LLP has become the latest major U.S. law firm to strike a deal with President Donald Trump, further widening the rift within the legal community over how firms navigate the administration’s pressure campaign against perceived adversaries.
On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Trump announced that Milbank had approached his administration to negotiate an agreement, making it the fourth major law firm to do so.
Under the terms disclosed by Trump in a social media post, the firm has committed to performing $100 million in pro bono legal services on mutually agreed causes, including assisting veterans and combating antisemitism. Additionally, Milbank has agreed to forgo diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
In a letter to Milbank employees obtained by Reuters, firm Chairman Scott Edelman addressed the agreement, stating:
“The only commitments that we have made to the Government are those that we are happy to make.”
Executive Orders and Legal Pushback
Trump has signed executive orders targeting five major law firms, limiting their ability to do business with the federal government. These firms have ties to attorneys involved in litigation challenging the administration’s policies.
Three of the firms—Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block—filed lawsuits against the administration, resulting in court orders that have temporarily blocked key provisions of Trump’s directives. Another firm, Paul Weiss, reached a separate deal with the administration to have the executive order affecting it rescinded, while Covington & Burling has yet to challenge the order targeting its firm.
Unlike the firms directly impacted by Trump’s executive actions, Milbank, along with Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Skadden Arps, has opted to reach agreements with the administration preemptively. The deal with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, where Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is a partner, was disclosed just a day prior to Milbank’s agreement.
Legal Community’s Response
Milbank is among more than a dozen prominent law firms representing clients in lawsuits against the Trump administration over policy and personnel decisions since his second term began in January.
One of Milbank’s most high-profile attorneys, Neal Katyal, has been a vocal critic of Trump. Katyal, a former acting U.S. solicitor general under President Barack Obama, is currently representing Cathy Harris, whom Trump removed as head of the Merit Systems Protection Board, an agency that handles employment disputes for federal workers.
Katyal also played a key role in representing Hawaii in its challenge to Trump’s controversial travel ban during his first term, which restricted entry from several predominantly Muslim countries.
Katyal has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Milbank’s deal with the administration.
Ongoing Legal and Ethical Debates
The deepening divide among law firms reflects a broader struggle within the legal industry over how to engage with the Trump administration’s policies and directives.
While some firms are taking a defiant stance through litigation, others have opted to negotiate agreements to avoid potential conflicts with the federal government.
Legal analysts suggest that these deals may have far-reaching implications for firms’ commitments to DEI initiatives, pro bono priorities, and their roles in shaping public policy.
