Client Terminates Paul Weiss Law Firm After Trump’s Executive Order
The client expressed concerns that a presidential executive order might lead to a conflict of interest if he continues to employ the firm as his defense attorney.
Law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (Paul Weiss), based in New York, stated in a court filing on March 19 that it was dismissed by a client following President Donald Trump’s executive order issued last month, which rescinded security clearances for its staff.
“Mr. Schwartz is apprehensive that the firm’s ongoing representation may adversely impact his chances of a favorable outcome in his case, or, owing to the Executive Order, could generate potential conflicts of interest between Mr. Schwartz and Paul Weiss that he is unwilling to overlook,” the filing stated.
“Whether or not the government is authorized to engage with Paul Weiss in the ongoing review, Mr. Schwartz worries that the firm’s continued involvement could inherently compromise the assessment of his case.”
The order also referenced a former leading prosecutor from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, who joined the firm and initiated a pro bono case against individuals charged in the January 6, 2021 events at the U.S. Capitol. Trump asserted that such pro bono cases denied defendants access to justice.
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The president further alleged that Paul Weiss discriminated against its employees “on the basis of race and other categories prohibited by civil rights laws,” claiming that its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives were biased.
Schwartz served as the chief legal officer for Cognizant Technology Corp. He faced charges in 2019 for violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a bribery scheme in India, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The Trump administration has put on hold its pending prosecutions under the foreign bribery statute as of February.
In its court filing on Wednesday, Paul Weiss noted that the Justice Department is examining its next steps in the case and that Schwartz is “worried that the firm’s ongoing representation may adversely influence his chances of obtaining a favorable review of his case” or pose conflicts of interest.
Contributions to this report were made by Kimberly Hayek and Reuters.
