BigLaw lawyer resigns over firm’s $100 million Trump deal in scathing LinkedIn post

Another Skadden lawyer goes viral

Another Skadden lawyer has gone viral — this time on LinkedIn — after resigning from the firm following its $100 million settlement to avoid a potential executive order.

In the post titled “Skadden Resignation” Brenna Trout Frey, a former Skadden associate in their Washington DC office, referenced an internal email about a deal struck with Trump. Frey puts the essence of that email as Skadden “capitulating” to Trump’s “demands for fealty and protection money”. As a result, she has left the firm, declaring resignation the “only… acceptable response” — and now her LinkedIn post has garnered nearly 15,000 interactions and almost 700 comments.

This resignation follows reports that Trump has secured a deal worth “at least” $100 million in pro bono legal services from Skadden. In an internal email that prompted Frey’s resignation, the firm’s executive partner, Jeremy London, said, “not everyone will agree with the decision we made today, and I have great respect for the differing views that make us stronger as a firm.”

“But I firmly believe that an agreement centered around our pro bono work and complying with the law was an acceptable outcome to ensure Skadden will continue to thrive long into the future,” he continued. “This agreement does not change who we are.”

Frey, however, dubbed the email “craven”, and said that “if my employer cannot stand up for the rule of law, then I cannot ethically continue to work for them”.

Frey has called upon lawyers facing the same ethical dilemma, saying: “I hope you do some soul-searching over the weekend and join me in sending a message that this is unacceptable (in whatever way you can [such as by resigning]). As one of my more eloquent former colleagues put it: ‘Do not pretend that what is happening is normal or excusable. It isn’t.’”

The post has gained huge interest. Many have congratulated her move, describing it as “brave” and “courageous”. One lawyer commented that she had been wondering how long before Skadden staff would “vote with their feet”, whilst a DLA Piper partner thanked Frey for “speaking the truth”. Another lawyer commented that the “lack of courage from many powerful lawyers is dispiriting” whilst a former Skadden employee describes himself as “embarrassed” for the firm.

Meanwhile, another Skadden associate, Rachel Cohen, also resigned for similar reasons after helping to coordinate an open letter urging US law firm leaders to speak out against Trump. Since then, she has shared a “toolkit” to support associates protesting the situation, encouraging them to disengage from their firms’ graduate recruitment initiatives until leadership takes a stand against Trump’s attack on the rule of law.

This news comes as Trump continues to use executive orders to impose sanctions on 20 BigLaw firms – some have already struck deals, such as Paul Weiss’ worth $40 million, whilst others, such as WilmerHale and Jenner & Block have successfully challenged Trump in the courts.