West
Coast
Willkie
Farr
attorneys
are
leaving
en
masse
because
the
firm bent
a
knee
to
Donald
Trump, pledging
$100
million
in
pro
bono
payola
to
avoid
an unconstitutional Executive
Order
targeting
the
firm,
and
the tremendous
harm that
can
bring.
And
they’re
heading
to
a
firm
with
a
proven
track
record
of
standing
up
to
the
Trump
administration,
Cooley.
While
the
departing
partners
(and
the
books
of
business
they
represent)
are
garnering
the
most
attention,
associates
are
also
part
of
the
exodus
—
and
they’ve
got
something
to
say.
As
reported
by
Law.com,
the
total
number
of
Willkie
attorneys
headed
to
Cooley
is
currently
13.
And
several
of
the
associates
making
the
move
have
taken
to
LinkedIn
to
express
their
feelings
about
their
soon-to-be-former
firm.
“I
didn’t
want
to
leave.
But
as
soon
as
the
firm
decided
to
make
a
deal
with
the
Trump
administration,
I
knew
that
I
could
not
stay,”
wrote
Isabella
McKinley
Corbo
in
a
LinkedIn
post.
“When
I
became
a
lawyer,
I
took
an
oath
to
defend
the
Constitution.
I
believe
that
Willkie’s
decision
to
capitulate
to
Trump
violated
that
oath.
It
was
a
grave
mistake-–one
that
I
believe
history
will
judge
harshly,
as
it
will
all
firms
that
made
this
choice.”
“I
am
privileged
and
proud
to
be
joining
many
of
my
mentors
from
Willkie
who
did
just
that
by
departing
last
week
for
Cooley
LLP,
a
firm
with
a
proven
record
of
fighting
this
administration,
rather
than
bowing
to
a
would-be
autocrat,” Corbo
continued.
“From
the
moment
I
first
interviewed
at
Willkie
as
a
1L,
I
felt
like
I
had
found
a
home—one
filled
with
brilliant
advocates
who
meet
their
work
each
day
with
courage,
kindness,
and
tenacity,”
wrote
Remy
Carreiro
on
LinkedIn.
“It
is
because
of
this
that
I
was
so
heartbroken
when
Willkie
chose
to
make
a
deal
with
Trump
in
April.
This
decision
was,
and
continues
to
be,
wrong.”
“If
you
had
asked
me
on
March
31,
I
would
have
said
I
had
no
immediate
plans
to
leave
[Willkie]
–
it
truly
has
felt
like
home
for
these
past
two
years.
But
the
decision
to
make
a
deal
with
Trump
is
not
a
decision
that
I
can
live
with
or
be
a
part
of.
It
was
the
wrong
decision
and
one
that
history
will
not
be
(and
has
not
been)
kind
to,”
wrote
Emily
Abbey.
“It’s
an
immense
privilege
to
be
joining
the
seven
courageous,
principled
partners
who
left
this
firm
for
Cooley
LLP,
a
firm
that
has
a
demonstrated
record
of
fighting
the
administration,
not
rolling
over.”
It’s
just
more
evidence
that
many
attorneys
want
to
distance
themselves
from
the
stink
of
capitulation.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].