Yesterday, noted legal firm Nixon Peabody convened a firm-wide meeting under the leadership of managing partner Steve Zubiago to discuss the firm’s latest controversial addition to its client roster: Donald Trump. This comes after the firm opted for a course of action abandoned by its Biglaw peers, who cut ties with partners representing Trump in an effort to avoid any potential harm to their professional reputation. The news was met with mixed reactions from the partners, demonstrating that the decision hadn’t been broadly discussed within the firm before being made.
Reports indicate that the meeting was brief, and no questions were permitted, with Zubiago implying that their association with Trump wouldn’t cause any reputational damage. Curiously, Zubiago also announced that the case was referred to Nixon Peabody through the Republican Party instead of going directly through Trump, an inconsequential detail since Trump himself remains the client.
Worthwhile to note is the revelation that many new Nixon Peabody cases do not see the light of day in the wider firm, drawing scrutiny over the transparency of the firm’s operation. Moreover, the assertion that the firm was surprised by references to January 6 (the day of the Capitol Riots) in relation to the Trump case raises further inquiries about the firm’s strategic oversight.
In conclusion, while Nixon Peabody’s association with Donald Trump was positioned as business as usual during the meeting, the circumstances surrounding the decision and the firm’s handling of it have elicited questions about their internal process and the potential reputational risk. It remains to be seen how the firm plans to navigate the tumultuous waters stirred by their controversial client choice.