Susman Godfrey is the newest main regulation agency to take the Trump administration to courtroom over an govt order aimed toward its attorneys.
Susman on Friday filed a swimsuit to problem President Donald Trump’s April 9 order, arguing that he violated the structure by focusing on the agency for its work in courtroom. The agency requested a federal choose in Washington to freeze the order, which restricts attorneys’ entry to authorities buildings and directs companies to terminate federal contracts with Susman shoppers.
Agency’s grievance
“The President is abusing the powers of his workplace to wield the may of the Govt Department in retaliation in opposition to organizations and folks that he dislikes,” the agency stated within the grievance.
“Nothing in our Structure or legal guidelines grants a President such energy; on the contrary, the particular provisions and general design of our Structure have been adopted in giant measure to make sure that presidents can’t train arbitrary, absolute energy in the way in which that the President seeks to do in these Govt Orders.”
Representatives for the White Home didn’t instantly reply a request for remark.
The swimsuit makes Susman the fourth main regulation agency to problem Trump over govt orders in opposition to them, which additionally strip attorneys of safety clearances. It comes as a rising checklist of company companies—together with Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins—strike preemptive offers with the president, pledging a complete of $940 million in free authorized providers to remain out of the bull’s eye.
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Houston-founded Susman’s attorneys represented Dominion Voting Methods Inc. in a defamation lawsuit in opposition to Fox Corp., which ended with the corporate agreeing to pay a $787.5 million settlement. The case was primarily based on the community’s reporting tying Dominion’s voting machines to conspiracy theories a couple of stolen 2020 election. Susman is pursuing the same swimsuit in opposition to Trump advocate Mike Lindell, the chief govt officer of MyPillow.
“Susman spearheads efforts to weaponize the American authorized system and degrade the standard of American elections,” Trump stated within the govt order.
Three different regulation companies—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale—already secured courtroom rulings briefly blocking a lot of the orders in opposition to them. These companies have been focused for his or her ties to attorneys who investigated Trump or labored on circumstances in opposition to him.
Covington & Burling was the primary Massive Legislation agency focused by the president, who issued a memorandum stripping accomplice Peter Koski’s safety clearances due to his illustration of former particular counsel Jack Smith.
Susman is understood for top stakes courtroom fights for a variety of shoppers. The agency typically takes these circumstances on contingency price preparations, which means its compensation relies upon largely on the end result.
The agency, just like the others suing Trump, detailed the potential hurt posed by the order.
“All instructed, at the least a 3rd of the Agency’s present lively issues require Susman Godfrey attorneys to seem earlier than federal courts or work together with federal companies in some capability,” the agency stated within the grievance.
“And thru its defamatory allegations in opposition to the Agency, the Order seeks to warn or drive shoppers away from partaking the Agency’s providers. “
“Merely put, the Order endeavors to foreclose the Agency from training regulation—for the perceived transgression of enterprise representations with which the President disagrees,” Susman stated.
Donald Verrilli, who served as solicitor basic within the Obama administration, is representing Susman. Verrilli’s agency, Munger Tolles & Olson, has emerged as a number one critic of Trump’s govt orders. Munger attorneys organized an amicus transient on behalf of greater than 500 regulation companies in help of Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale.
“This goes far past regulation companies and attorneys,” Susman Godfrey stated in a press release. “In the present day it’s our agency underneath assault, however tomorrow it might be any of us. As officers of the courtroom, we’re duty-bound to tackle this combat in opposition to the unlawful govt order.”
The case is Susman Godfrey v. Govt Workplace of the President, D.D.C., 1:25-cv-01107, 4/11/2025
