(Reuters) -Kirkland & Ellis, the largest U.S. law firm by revenue, is in talks with the White House to avoid an executive order similar to those levied against several of its rivals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The news comes as President Donald Trump wages a pressure campaign against his perceived enemies in the legal profession, leading some major law firms to strike deals with the White House to avoid executive orders seeking to curtail their business with the federal government.
Kirkland & Ellis and the White House did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Trump has already signed executive orders targeting five firms and reached settlements with four others that agreed to commit millions of dollars in free legal services to mutually agreed-upon projects with the White House and refrain from engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Another three law firms have sued to block Trump’s executive orders targeting them, underscoring a deepening divide among large law firms over how to respond to Trump’s actions. The president has primarily targeted firms with ties to lawyers who have investigated him or represent clients challenging his policies in court.
Kirkland has been ranked for years as the top-grossing U.S. law firm by American Lawyer, with a reported $8.8 billion in revenues in 2024, and is known for its work on deals for private equity firms and for litigation.
(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Additional reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
