Former second gentleman Doug Emhoff reportedly criticized his law firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, for striking a deal with the administration to avoid potential blowback from President Trump as the White House has targeted other large legal firms in recent weeks.
Emhoff, who joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in late January this year, condemned the law firm while speaking at a Bet Tzedek’s 2025 Annual Dinner Gala on Thursday night, CNN reported Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Emhoff, a longtime entertainment attorney, told the attendees at the Los Angeles gala that he expressed to Willkie Farr & Gallagher his willingness to challenge a potential Trump executive order, viewing it as unconstitutional, but he ended up being overridden, according to CNN.
The Hill has reached out to Willkie Farr & Gallagher for comment.
Earlier this week, Trump announced that his administration reached a deal with Emhoff’s firm.
As part of the agreement, announced Tuesday, the law firm would provide roughly $100 million worth of pro bono legal work for initiatives supported by the current administration.
The firm would also refrain from including diversity, equity and inclusion requirements as part of their hiring process and would not turn down clients due to their political orientations.
“Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP proactively reached out to President Trump and his Administration, offering their decisive commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession,” the White House said on Tuesday.
It was at least the third such agreement Trump had forged with a prominent law firm since taking office in January. The White House reached an agreement with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The administration also struck a deal with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, with the New York City-based firm agreeing to provide $40 million in pro bono services.
Trump has gone after other major law firms that have ties to people who worked on probes into the president.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s attorneys represented two Georgia election workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defamation. Giuliani accused the two women, who worked in Fulton County during the 2020 presidential election, of fraud.
