US president Donald Trump has launched an investigation into the employment practices of a group of as yet unnamed leading US law firms as he ramps up his campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).
The move was revealed in an executive order signed by Trump yesterday (6 March) targeting Perkins Coie for its work for Democrats, including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 election.
The order suspends security clearance for Perkins Coie employees and mandates government agencies to take “appropriate steps to terminate any contract” with the law firm.
It also accuses Perkins Coie of discriminating against its attorneys and staff through its DE&I policies, stating that it “publicly announced percentage quotas in 2019 for hiring and promotion on the basis of race and other categories prohibited by civil rights laws”.
Read more
