Chicago – March 12, 2025
The law firm Perkins Coie is suing the Trump administration, alleging that a recent executive order targeting the firm is unconstitutional and aims to punish it for representing clients and causes that are opposed to the administration.
President Trump signed an executive order last week, “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP,” that accused the firm of “dishonest and dangerous activity” that sought to overturn laws and elections, and also said it “racially discriminates against its own attorneys and staff” through its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., attorneys for Perkins Coie call the executive order “an affront to the Constitution and our adversarial system of justice.”
“Its plain purpose is to bully those who advocate points of view that the President perceives as adverse to the views of his Administration, whether those views are presented on behalf of paying or pro bono clients,” the lawsuit says.
Trump’s executive order, it adds, presents a threat to Perkins’ Coie’s ability to represent the interests of its clients and its ability to operate as a business. The suit is asking the court to strike down the order and to prevent it from being implemented.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
