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One of New York’s most well-known lawyers is leaving Paul Weiss a few months after the law firm surrendered to an attack by US President Donald Trump.
Damien Williams, a former top federal prosecutor in New York who joined Paul Weiss in January, was targeted by the president, but he challenged the administration in court and won.
“I’ve seen first-hand how this company is skillfully tackling the toughest cases and engaged in that value,” Williams said. “I look forward to joining a team with an extraordinary depth of legal talent that will never steer you from a fierce battle.”
Williams’ departure echoes across the legal scene of New York’s businesses, highlighting the sector’s chaos after a decision by nine law firms that put pressure on them earlier this year from the Trump administration.
Businesses collectively agreed to provide nearly $1 billion in free legal services, rather than putting punitive restrictions on businesses, suspending security clearances and combating executive orders blocking courts and other federal buildings.
Paul Weiss is the first company to fall, facing a growing departure from a lawyer who can overturn its business. Four senior lawyers, including former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Karen Dunn, a corporate litigator who also served in the campaigns of Kamala Harris, launched their own company last month.
“I appreciate Damian’s contribution and I wish him well,” a spokesman for Paul Weiss said.
Williams was a securities fraud prosecutor and ultimately led the US Lawyer in Manhattan, the US Department of Justice’s most elite former post base, and worked on high-stake sterilities, public corruption and white-collar crime cases.
Former President Joe Biden, he oversaw the indictment of FTX founder Sam Bankman Fried and former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez. The first black man to lead the office, Williams began his legal career with Paul Weiss and had deep relationships with some of the company’s most senior partners.
He joined Jenner as co-chair of the litigation division in New York, white-collar investigation and defence practices. Jenner’s chairman Tom Perelli said Williams “fits the company’s tradition of hiring former civil servants, who are enthusiastic and effective advocates.
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In one of his earliest actions after seizing the White House, Trump issued a series of executive orders targeting law firms who suspected he had attacked him in his first administration. The order halted security clearance for lawyers, called for review of government contracts, and attempted to block access to federal government buildings.
When announcing the measures targeting Paul Weiss in March, the president cited the lawsuit filed against participants during the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and the involvement of former company partners with Trump’s Manhattan prosecutors on fraud charges.
A judge in May defeated Trump’s executive order against Jenner and declared it unconstitutional. Wilmerhale, Susman Godfrey, and Perkins Coie also challenged the orders in court.
