Willkie partner joins law firm formed by ex-Paul Weiss lawyers

By Sara Merken

July 2 (Reuters) - A law firm formed recently by a group of prominent former Paul Weiss lawyers is continuing to make new hires, again adding a partner from one of the firms that made deals with President Donald Trump to avert an executive order targeting their businesses.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher partner Meryl Governski said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday that she was leaving to join the new litigation firm, Dunn Isaacson Rhee. Like many of the new firm's other partners, Governski previously practiced at law firm Boies Schiller Flexner.

Governski, who is based in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Her post did not specify a reason for leaving Willkie.

Willkie partner Michael Gottlieb in a statement said the firm hoped to continue working with Governski at her new firm. He said it was "completely unsurprising" that she would want to reunite with her former Boies Schiller colleagues.

Paul Weiss and Willkie are among the nine firms that made deals with the White House to avoid being targeted by the administration. The firms, in all, have pledged a total of $940 million in free legal work to causes Trump supports.

Dunn Isaacson Rhee partner Jeannie Rhee in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday called Governski a "brilliant litigator and First Amendment maven." The firm declined further comment.

At least 11 partners from Paul Weiss have joined Dunn Isaacson Rhee since its May launch. Its founders, including high-profile Democratic attorney Karen Dunn, have not publicly cited Paul Weiss' deal with Trump as a motivation for leaving.

Governski was on the team that won a $148 million judgment from a Washington, D.C. jury in 2023 for two former Georgia election workers in a defamation lawsuit against former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

She filed a motion on Tuesday to withdraw from representing Drake in a defamation lawsuit against his longtime label Universal Music Group over its promotion of Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning single "Not Like Us." The filing said a Willkie team that includes Gottlieb will continue representing Drake in the case.

While it is not unusual for partners and associates to move between law firms, there has been a steady trickle of departures from firms that have struck deals with Trump since March.

Seven partners left Willkie last month to join Cooley, which is representing Jenner & Block in its legal challenge to a Trump executive order that restricted Jenner's access to government officials and threatened its federal contracting work.

At least three Willkie associates who also joined Cooley made posts on LinkedIn criticizing the firm's deal with Trump.