Trump Administration Beginning to Notice Big Law Jumping in to Reward Failed Biden Officials and Policies
03/19/2025Biden’s Basement has been actively tracking those employers that have made the decision to embrace the failed policies of the last administration, which the American people overwhelmingly rejected, by offering lucrative partnerships and cushy jobs to senior Biden officials and appointees. Admittedly, it has been hard to compete with the offers flowing in from “elite” higher education institutions – many of which are now facing consequences for their support and endorsement of the pro-Hamas protests that defiled their campuses following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7th, 2023. Not interested in being outdone, however, many in the Big Law community have stepped up to compete for the prize of best friends of the failed Biden administration.
Recent executive actions have captured some of these actors, most notably Perkins Coie. Based on our research, we offer five more to add to the list of firms likely to receive more scrutiny in the near future as they have recruited and hired many former Biden appointees, or are set to:
1) King & Spalding: K&S appears to be leading the charge on offering refuge for failed Biden appointees. They have hired six former senior officials by our count – and more may be hiding in related practice areas or their lobbying shop. Their contributions span a range of agencies involved in Biden-era crises from the Afghanistan debacle, to the failure to alert the American public of the COVID vaccine dangers, to the many questionable decisions blessed by Biden White House attorneys. They are:
a. Alicia C. O’Brien – Senior Counsel and Special Assistant to President, White House Counsel’s Office
b. Lauren Roth – Associate Commissioner for Policy, Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health & Human Services
c. Ryan Majerus – Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce
d. Alejandra Apecechea – Associate Counsel, White House Counsel’s Office
e. Justin A. Dews - Associate Counsel, White House Counsel’s Office
f. Nema Milaninia – Senior Advisor, Department of State
2) Latham & Watkins: Latham has proven to be friendly territory when it comes to embracing the legal malfeasance endorsed and overseen by the Biden White House Counsel’s office, from pushing a clearly unlawful eviction ban to the student loan forgiveness plan to helping cover up the President’s incapacity and numerous ethical scandals involving himself and his family.
a. Jonathan C. Su – Deputy Counsel to the President, White House Counsel’s Office
b. Edward Siskel – Assistant to the President and White House Counsel
c. Andrew C. Strelka – Deputy Associate Counsel and Senior Tax Counsel, Office of Presidential Personnel
d. Jude J. Volek – Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel, White House Counsel’s Office
3) Covington & Burling: Beyond merely representing the former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who weaponized the government against President Trump in an unprecedented investigation and indictment of a former U.S. president, Covington has begun hiring Biden officials with at least four identified so far:
a. Dana Remus – Assistant to the President and White House Counsel, White House Counsel’s Office
b. Kaitlyn H. Demers – Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Office of Legislative Affairs, White House
c. Sierra T. Stubbs – Special Assistant, Department of Commerce
d. Mary Schnoor – Counselor for Regulation, Department of Homeland Security
4) WilmerHale: Wilmer was one of the named firms in the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission’s recent inquiry into alleged discriminatory practices in their diversity programs. Their hiring of senior Biden officials, including an influential decision-maker in the Biden’s war on fossil fuels, helps them make the list:
a. Tommy Beaudreau – Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior
b. Rhonda Kay Schmidtlein – Commissioner, U.S. International Trade Commission
5) Paul, Weiss: The firm has recently come under scrutiny for its role in supporting the Biden administration’s weaponization efforts in the January 6th legal proceedings and the Manhattan District Attorney’s targeting of President Donald J. Trump. The firm’s Chairman Brad Karp has been outspoken critic of President Trump as well, raising the firm’s public profile. Weiss has embraced long-time Democrat politicians as witnessed last year when Karen Dunn, an attorney assisting with debate prep for Kamala Harris’ failed Presidential campaign, was called out for potential conflicts of interest for concurrently representing Google . Notable hires so far:
a. Jordan E. Orosz – Deputy Associate Counsel and Tax Counsel, Office of Presidential Personnel
b. Loretta Lynch – Former Obama Attorney General
c. Jeh Johnson – Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
