Harris presidential campaign finds legal world booster in Paul Weiss firm
By Jody Godoy and Karen Freifeld
NEW YORK, Aug 12 (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign to win the White House is getting a huge boost from Paul Weiss, a white shoe law firm with deep links to the Democratic Party.
A favorite of Big Tech and Wall Street, Paul Weiss employees have donated more to Democratic candidates this election cycle than any other law firm. A partner from the firm has also helped Harris prepare for debates, while Chairman Brad Karp is rallying other lawyers around the vice president.
Last week, Karp launched a fundraising effort for Harris in the legal community, reaching out to nearly 300 corporate lawyers, some of whom had supported her 2020 presidential bid. More than half of the lawyers on the email, seen by Reuters, work at Paul Weiss.
Relationships between law firms and political candidates -- particularly a candidate like Harris who is herself a lawyer -- are nothing new. But advocacy groups are concerned that funders with corporate ties could wield outsized influence, shifting Harris away from policies under President Joe Biden that have chafed the business community.
"There is definitely a concern that the revolving door between the Democratic Party and Big Law serves the interests of not only the politicians but clients of the revolving-door officials," said Jeff Hauser, founder of the Revolving Door Project.
Karen Dunn -- who co-leads the firm's litigation group and is part of Harris' debate prep team, according to sources familiar with preparations -- is the lead lawyer for Alphabet's GOOGL.O Google at an antitrust trial scheduled to start on Sept. 9, the day before Harris' first debate with former President Donald Trump.
Dunn has served as an associate White House counsel for then-President Barack Obama, and helped him, Harris, and Hillary Clinton prepare for past debates. She has also represented Apple AAPL.O and Uber UBER.N.
Paul Weiss lawyers and staff have given at least $1.4 million to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle, the most of any law firm tracked by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan research group that analyzes campaign finance records.
Donations from lawyers and legal industry employees this election cycle have largely gone to Biden, whose campaign Harris took over in mid-July. The Biden campaign received at least $14.5 million, while Trump has received at least $2.5 million, according to OpenSecrets.
Karp, who has been the firm's chairman since 2008, was among Biden's top fundraisers in 2020, after fundraising for Harris during the Democratic nominating contests that Biden won.
Karp's relationship with Harris goes back about a decade.
He and Paul Weiss represented Citigroup C.N in 2014, when it was among the banks being investigated by state and federal authorities -- including Harris, then California's attorney general -- over mortgage-backed securities.
"I came away from that experience enormously impressed by her intellect, tenacity and creativity, and have supported her political efforts since," Karp told Reuters.
He's now working with other law firm and business leaders to raise funds for Harris, and recruiting lawyers to address potential election law issues in what he sees as the most consequential election in recent history.
Karp also serves on the board of a nonprofit that furnishes the vice presidential residence.
Several other partners at the firm support Harris' candidacy.
Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, former U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson -- all Paul Weiss partners -- are among former Democratic officials who have publicly endorsed her.
Jo-Ellen Pozner, who teaches ethics at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business, said lawyers have a vested interest in the stability of the legal system. At the same time, donors wield influence.
"Donors definitely are looking for relationships that they can call in," she said.
Reporting by Jody Godoy and Karen Freifeld in New York; additional reporting by Nandita Bose; editing by Chris Sanders and Jonathan Oatis
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
