Biglaw Leaders Denounce Trump's Repulsive Rhetoric On Charlottesville
What has your firm done to speak out against hate?
Donald Trump (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty)
It’s not just corporate executives who have come forward to rebuke President Donald Trump for his commentary on the ugly Charlottesville rally that brought about violent clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters, eventually leading to numerous injuries and the death of paralegal Heather Heyer — it’s leaders and prominent partners of some of the most trusted Biglaw firms in the business, too.
Since Saturday, several firms have spoken out against Trump’s remarks, denouncing the president for casting blame on both sides and making a moral equivalency between Nazis and those who opposed them. Thus far, those firms include Skadden Arps, Paul Weiss, Lowenstein Sandler, Wachtell Lipton, WilmerHale, Polsinelli, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Crowell & Moring, Latham & Watkins, Hogan Lovells, Akin Gump, and Greenberg Traurig.
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Here is a statement released by Skadden and published on its website:
We condemn the racism that took place in Charlottesville last weekend. Those actions were an affront to the fundamental principles of equality and justice that strengthen our nation.
Since its founding in 1948, one of Skadden’s core values has been our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Recognizing that our differences help make us better and stronger, Skadden will always be a safe and welcoming environment for individuals who exemplify and share those values.
We thought it important at this time to reaffirm our dedication to our values and, in particular, our diversity.
On Monday night, Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp expressed similar sentiments in a firmwide email, noting that “[i]ntolerance and hate are anathema to our most fundamental ideals. There is no place in our society for expressions of bigotry and group supremacy. The events of this past weekend are abhorrent to everything our nation stands for and we must renew our pledge to support this nation’s core principles.” He concluded his missive by stating that the firm will “continue to fight for these basic principles and to ensure that the rights, dignities and freedoms of all our citizens are fully respected and vindicated.”
In another firmwide email, Gary Wingens, chairman and managing partner of Lowenstein Sandler, told his colleagues about his mother, a concentration camp survivor, who would have been devastated by the events in Charlottesville:
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Whether you are the descendant of immigrants who came to this country to escape persecution or to seek a better life, the descendant of slaves, a Native American or an immigrant yourself, we can all agree that the [U.S.] is at its best when we treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of race, religion, nation of origin, gender or sexual orientation.
There is no place in this firm, our communities or this country for white supremacists or leaders who do not unequivocally name them and call them out. In the face of those who give voice to divisiveness and hate, please join me in re-doubling our efforts to create an even more inclusive and equal workplace and society.
Martin Lipton, one of the founders of Wachtell Lipton and the creator of the “poison pill,” was absolutely “appalled” by President Trump’s statements, writing, “Hate and bigotry are offensive to the American Constitution, the American dream and the overwhelming majority of the American people. I join with and I applaud those business leaders, public officials and others who have disassociated themselves from President Trump’s statements.”
W. Russell Welsh, CEO and chairman of Polsinelli, shared the following words:
With the horrific words and actions of so called white nationalists in Charlottesville this past weekend, now is the time to celebrate and reinforce our values of diversity and inclusion.
We want to make clear that while violence by anyone is unacceptable, there is no equivalence between the hate mongers who espouse racist and anti-Semitic ideology and those who protest against these views. We deplore and reject the comments of our political leaders who fail to recognize this distinction and to denounce these evil, anti American ideologies. Our firm stands resolutely against these groups and their beliefs.
Bryan Cave tweeted out a statement given by its chair, Therese Pritchard:
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Katelyn Polantz of ALM gathered various statements from several Biglaw firms and tweeted them publicly, including those from the leaders of WilmerHale, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer’s chair Richard Alexander, the leaders of Crowell & Moring, Latham & Watkins’s chair Bill Voge, the leaders of Hogan Lovells, Akin Gump’s chair Kim Koopersmith, and Greenberg Traurig’s chair Richard Rosenbaum. All of these statements can be found on the next page.
It’s refreshing to see that the leaders of some of America’s largest and most prestigious law firms are willing to step up, call out hate-mongering, and affirm their commitment to making the world a better place through efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. What has your firm done to speak out against hate? Please email us or text us (646-820-8477) with your firm’s statements. Thanks.
Big Law Responds to Trump’s Charlottesville Protest Remarks [Am Law Daily]
Marty Lipton Denounces President Trump’s Charlottesville Comments [Big Law Business]
Staci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
