Susman Godfrey Sues Trump to Fight 'Unconstitutional' Order

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Munger Tolles is representing Susman in this case. JD Vance's wife used to be at that firm
https://bsky.app/profile/jimlo-hi.bsky.social/post/3lmlclnysk22r

Link to tweet

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/susman-godfrey-sues-trump-to-fight-unconstitutional-order

Susman Godfrey is the latest major law firm to take the Trump administration to court over an executive order aimed at its attorneys.

Susman on Friday filed a suit to challenge President Donald Trump’s April 9 order, arguing that he violated the constitution by targeting the firm for its work in court. The firm asked a federal judge in Washington to freeze the order, which restricts lawyers’ access to government buildings and directs agencies to terminate federal contracts with Susman clients.

“The President is abusing the powers of his office to wield the might of the Executive Branch in retaliation against organizations and people that he dislikes,” the firm said in the complaint. “Nothing in our Constitution or laws grants a President such power; to the contrary, the specific provisions and overall design of our Constitution were adopted in large measure to ensure that presidents cannot exercise arbitrary, absolute power in the way that the President seeks to do in these Executive Orders.”

Representatives for the White House didn’t immediately respond a request for comment.

The suit makes Susman the fourth major law firm to challenge Trump over executive orders against them, which also strip lawyers of security clearances. It comes as a growing list of corporate firms—including Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins—strike preemptive deals with the president, pledging a total of $940 million in free legal services to stay out of the bull’s eye.

Houston-founded Susman’s lawyers represented Dominion Voting Systems Inc. in a defamation lawsuit against Fox Corp., which ended with the company agreeing to pay a $787.5 million settlement. The case was based on the network’s reporting tying Dominion’s voting machines to conspiracy theories about a stolen 2020 election. Susman is pursuing a similar suit against Trump advocate Mike Lindell, the chief executive officer of MyPillow.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Here is a link to the lawsuit filed by Susman

Link to tweet

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279461/gov.uscourts.dcd.279461.1.0.pdf

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

Firms can fight Trump, or they become collaborationists.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. 4 law firms targeted by Trump extend their winning streak against White House

These four law firms targeted by Trump challenged his offensive in court. At this point, they're undefeated.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/4-law-firms-targeted-trump-extend-winning-streak-white-house-rcna201492

While we don’t know why the White House launched this offensive, we do know that the offensive is already struggling. The New York Times reported:

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Trump from punishing the law firm Susman Godfrey, calling the retribution campaign he has waged from the White House against the nation’s top firms “a shocking abuse of power.” Ruling from the bench, Judge Loren L. AliKhan of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia said that the executive order Mr. Trump signed last week targeting the firm stemmed from a “personal vendetta.”

This was a preliminary step. Susman Godfrey sought a temporary restraining order, and the judge agreed, which means Trump’s executive order has been blocked and the punishments the president sought to impose are on hold. That said, the underlying case is ongoing.

Stepping back, however, it’s hard not to notice the recent winning streak for law firms that have fought back against the White House instead of trying to appease the president.

One of the first firms to be targeted, Perkins Coie, filed suit against Trump rather than giving in, and soon after, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell temporarily blocked the president’s policy, saying in reference to the executive order, “It sends little chills down my spine.” The judge added, “I am sure that many in the profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through.”

It was the first in a series of related setbacks for the White House. Around the same time, Jenner & Block was targeted; it also sought a temporary order blocking Trump’s attack, and it also succeeded. With WilmerHale, the exact same thing happened.

In other words, four of the 14 targeted firms fought back rather than giving in, and all four have — at least for now — prevailed when seeking temporary restraining orders, stopping Trump’s gambit in its tracks.

Again, I know attorneys at the Susman firm. I am glad that they won this TRO