A federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of President Trump’s executive order that targets the law firm Perkins Coie. The firm argues that the order is retaliation for its past work advising Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled on Wednesday that parts of the executive order, which would prevent Perkins Coie employees from entering federal government buildings and require government contractors to disclose if they do business with the firm, should be frozen for now. She argued that the order likely violates the First Amendment by retaliating against protected speech and may also infringe on due process rights and the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to legal representation.
Howell compared Trump’s actions to the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, who is known for rashly ordering executions. She stressed that while such outbursts might be entertaining in a story, they should not reflect how the Constitution operates. “Regardless of whether the president dislikes the firm’s clients or their positions, issuing an executive order targeting the firm for political reasons is retaliatory,” Howell said, emphasizing the importance of First Amendment protection.
The judge’s decision addresses only three sections of the executive order at this early stage, focusing on the most immediate harm. It does not include the president’s decision to revoke the firm’s lawyers’ security clearances or his directive for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate large law firms for potential Civil Rights Act violations.
This ruling came just one day after Perkins Coie filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the executive order, titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP”, which was issued on March 6. The firm has long been in Trump’s sights due to its work advising Clinton during the 2016 campaign and its involvement with Fusion GPS, the firm tied to the Steele dossier that made controversial claims about Trump’s ties to Russia.
Judge Howell’s ruling is the latest in Trump’s ongoing conflict with the firm, marking the most significant move yet against it. “I am sure that many in the legal profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through here,” Howell said during the hearing.
Dane Butswinkas, a lawyer representing Perkins Coie, described the president’s order as a “tsunami” waiting to hit. He explained that the firm has already lost clients each day since the order was issued, and that the order affects not only the 1,200 lawyers at the firm but also the 2,500 non-lawyers who work there. “It truly is life-threatening… It will spell the end of the law firm,” he said.
Chad Mizelle, representing the government, dismissed the law firm’s concerns as exaggerated. He urged the judge to reject the request for a temporary halt to the order, arguing that the president has the authority to decide who can access sensitive government information. “It is fundamentally the president’s prerogative, not reviewable by courts, whether somebody is trustworthy with the nation’s secrets,” Mizelle said.
Howell responded, expressing concern that the government’s position could give the president the power to block anyone or any company from doing business with the government simply based on his personal opinion. “That’s a pretty extraordinary power for the president to exercise,” the judge remarked.
This is the second time during Trump’s presidency that he has targeted a major law firm he perceives as an enemy. Earlier, Trump moved to restrict security clearances for some lawyers at Covington, a law firm that helped Special Counsel Jack Smith investigate Trump. Covington has not yet challenged this action.
Perkins Coie is being represented by Williams & Connolly, a prestigious law firm known for its strong legal challenges to the federal government. Judge Howell praised them for taking on the case, acknowledging that they could be the next target. “They could be next,” she said, calling the firm “very brave” for standing up in defense of Perkins Coie.
