Trump Secures $600M in Legal Services Deals with Major Law Firms

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that five major law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins, have agreed to provide a combined $600 million in pro bono legal services to avoid potential executive orders that target their hiring practices. In exchange, these firms will abandon any illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and ensure political neutrality in client selection. The agreements also led to the withdrawal of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations into the firms, which the administration accused of discriminatory practices. Trump's administration has been under pressure to reshape civil society and has threatened sanctions against firms perceived as adversarial. Critics argue that these deals highlight Trump's manipulation of legal resources to stifle dissent and retaliate against opposing legal organizations. Some firms have chosen to resist by challenging the administration's orders in court rather than negotiating.