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67 current and former general counsels submit legal brief

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Filing backs Perkins Coie in lawsuit against Trump

administration

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Trump orders 'hijack' companies' ability to choose

lawyers,

brief says

By David Thomas, Mike Scarcella and Sara Merken

April 8 (Reuters) - Former top legal executives at large

companies including Microsoft ( MSFT ), Intel ( INTC ) and Eli

Lilly ( LLY ) submitted a legal brief on Tuesday accusing U.S.

President Donald Trump of undermining the rule of law and

threatening American businesses with his executive orders

targeting law firms.

The 67 mostly former general counsels said Trump's orders

violate the U.S. Constitution and "hijack" the relationships

companies have with their outside lawyers.

The friend-of-the-court brief was filed to support Perkins

Coie in its lawsuit against the Trump administration over an

executive order that suspended its lawyers' access to government

buildings and officials and threatened to cancel federal

contracts held by the firm's clients.

"The order does not merely punish a single law firm and its

thousands of employees; it erodes the foundation of legal

representation by counsel of choice, uses federal contracts to

coerce political loyalty, and conscripts private businesses to

settle the president's political scores," the brief said. "Its

message is clear: hire the wrong lawyers, or take the wrong

public stance, and your company will be punished."

Trump issued similar executive orders against law firms

WilmerHale and Jenner & Block. All three firms have sued the

administration and won rulings temporarily blocking Trump's

orders.

Signatories to Tuesday's brief included Ivan Fong, the

former chief legal and policy officer of 3M and current general

counsel of Medtronic ( MDT ). Former Verizon general

counsel Randal Milch signed, as did Dorian Daley, who was

previously Oracle's top lawyer.

Milch declined to comment. Fong and Daley did not

immediately respond to requests for comment.

Microsoft ( MSFT ), Medtronic ( MDT ), Verizon, Oracle and Eli Lilly ( LLY ) also did

not immediately respond to requests for comment. 3M and Intel ( INTC )

declined to comment.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement

Trump is "determined to end the weaponization of 'Big Law'

against Americans for their political beliefs."

Four days earlier, 504 law firms filed their own brief

backing Perkins Coie's case and denouncing Trump's executive

orders. Most of the largest U.S. firms did not join that brief.

A Perkins Coie spokesperson said the firm was grateful for

the outside support it has received.

Another firm targeted by Trump in an executive order, Paul

Weiss, reached a deal with him to rescind it. Three other firms

- Milbank, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Skadden Arps - have come

to agreements with Trump without being hit with an order against

them.

The firms each pledged tens of millions of dollars in free

legal services to support causes favored by the White House and

agreed not to engage in discriminatory employment practices. The

firms said in public statements the deals were consistent with

their principles, including their political independence.

Trump has targeted law firms that represented clients who

have challenged his policies in court, employed lawyers involved

in prosecutorial investigations against Trump, or represent

people who previously have investigated him. His orders also

have faulted the firms for workplace diversity policies.

"General counsel and other corporate leaders must now assess

not just the skill, expertise, and trust they have in counsel,

but also whether those lawyers work at law firms that the

president may seek to discredit or destroy," Tuesday's brief

said.