Standing Up for a Law Firm Neighbor and Colleague

As a virtual law firm, we maintain a mailbox on Greenwood Ave. N. in Seattle. A little over six miles to the south, our neighbor, Perkins Coie, a long-standing Seattle law firm, has its principal office in downtown Seattle. A Seattle fixture since 1912, Perkins Coie now has 21 offices in the U.S. and abroad. It is an established part of our Seattle legal community.

Unfortunately, Perkins Coie has recently been attacked by the Trump administration. President Trump’s March 6, 2025, Executive Order 14230 claims that “The dishonest and dangerous activity of the law firm Perkins Coie LLP (“Perkins Coie”) has affected this country for decades.” The Executive Order requires:

• federal agencies “to suspend any active security clearances held by individuals at Perkins Coie;”
• “Government contractors to disclose any business they do with Perkins Coie and whether that business is related to the subject of the Government contract,”
• the termination of federal contracts with Perkins Coie;
• the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to review the practices of large law firms to determine if they engage in discriminatory hiring practices (which the Administration defines as programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion); and
• Federal agencies to create guidance limiting “official access from Federal Government buildings to employees of Perkins Coie.’

The Preamble of the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct, Section 13, declares that “Lawyers play a vital role in the preservation of society.” Section 6 states, “[A]ll lawyers should devote professional time and resources and use civic influence to ensure equal access to our system of justice for all those who, because of economic or social barriers, cannot afford or secure adequate legal counsel.”

The Trump Administration disagrees with this principle, citing as support for its March 6^th Executive Order the firm’s representation of Hillary Clinton and its representation of “activist donors including George Soros to judicially overturn popular, necessary, and democratically enacted election laws, including those requiring voter identification.”

Perkins Coie promptly filed suit, and U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell issued a temporary restraining order against enforcing key provisions of the Executive Order, warning that “the order could damage the integrity of the entire legal profession, intimidating lawyers from taking up cases that the president views as going against his interests.” ‘“It sends little chills down my spine,” Howell said, describing the executive order as the president punishing a company he believes is not acting in the president’s interest. “Why shouldn’t we be chilled by this?”’

I agree and believe we should all “be chilled by this.” President Trump is retaliating against a U.S. law firm for its representation of clients – representation that is precisely what is called for in our Rules of Professional Conduct. Moreover, as a woman attorney who came up through the ranks in the 1980s and 1990s, I’ve long appreciated Perkins Coie’s efforts to try to make a very white and very male legal professional more equitable, diverse, and just through its hiring practices.

So cheers to my neighbor down the street! Stand your ground, Perkins Coie. Many Seattle law firms, including mine, support your efforts and good work.