A client of Paul Weiss has dismissed the law firm from a criminal case in New Jersey, citing U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the firm’s political ties and diversity policies. Steven Schwartz, former chief legal officer of Cognizant Technology Solutions, terminated Paul Weiss as his defense counsel after Trump’s March 14 order suspended security clearances for its lawyers, limiting access to government buildings and employees.
Schwartz, charged in 2019 under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for alleged bribery in India, expressed concern that Paul Weiss’s continued representation could hinder his case review by the Justice Department. The DOJ is currently reassessing pending foreign bribery cases under a directive issued in February.
Trump’s executive order also accused Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie of undermining elections through past Democratic affiliations and allegedly discriminatory diversity policies. Perkins Coie has since filed a lawsuit, claiming Trump’s order has cost them clients and revenue, arguing it violates constitutional rights. The firm has already secured a temporary block on parts of the order from U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
The White House, through spokesperson Harrison Fields, defended the crackdown, dismissing claims that the executive orders unfairly target major law firms. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has intensified scrutiny of law firms with federal contracts, demanding detailed reports on diversity policies from 20 firms, including Covington & Burling, which represents Special Counsel Jack Smith in cases against Trump.
As legal battles unfold, Paul Weiss awaits court approval to officially withdraw from Schwartz’s case, marking another high-profile fallout from Trump’s aggressive legal and political maneuvering.