KKC Joins 504 Law Firms in Filing Amicus Brief Against Trump Administration’s Targeting of Perkins Coie

On Friday, April 4, Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto joined a group of 504 leading law firms in filing a joint amicus curiae brief in Perkins Coie’s lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against the White House’s Executive Order, “Addressing the Risks from Perkins Coie LLP.”

The Executive Order is the fifth in a series signed by President Trump seeking to enact retaliatory punishments on firms for political representation and diversity-focused hiring initiatives. In the order, Trump raised Perkins Coie’s representation of Hilary Clinton and pursuit of election law cases as grounds for the stripping of security clearances, the termination of government contacts with the firm, and blocking firm employees from accessing federal buildings. 

“Lawyers have an ethical duty to ensure the integrity of their profession and to prevent the government from interfering with the right to counsel,” says Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner at Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto. ‘Whistleblowers are particularly at risk for retaliation and having their lawyers inappropriately bullied. If the government can engage in such tactics, it’s open season for retaliation from state and local governments and large corporations on whistleblowers and their counsel. The right to counsel is sacrosanct.”

In March, Perkins Coie was granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by U.S District Judge Beryl Howell. Friday’s amicus brief supported the firm’s motion for a permanent injunction. Together, the Amici argued that the administration’s attempts to interfere with Constitutional guarantees of equal and zealous representation amounted to violations of First, Fifth, and Sixth amendment rights, while also raising separation of power issues.