A former US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has left Paul Weiss for Jenner & Block after less than six months at the firm. 

Damian Williams is the latest in a string of high profile lawyers to exit the firm in the wake of its controversial deal with the White House to avoid punitive executive action. At Jenner, which successfully sued the Trump administration to avoid similar executive action, he will serve as co-chair of the litigation department and investigations, compliance and defence practice.

“Damian led the Southern District with excellence and integrity, and we are excited to welcome him to Jenner as part of our firm’s long tradition of hiring former public servants who are zealous and effective advocates,” said Jenner’s chair Tom Perrelli, former Associate US Attorney General.

Williams served as the US attorney for SDNY between 2021 and 2024, when he rejoined Paul Weiss. His office brought high-profile cases against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, US Senator Bob Menendez and Archegos Capital founder Bill Hwang, among others. He was the first Black US attorney in the history of SDNY. 

Jenner said Williams would be a “driving force in the firm’s high-stakes litigation and white-collar work, particularly in New York”, in its announcement of his hire. 

“Jenner & Block fearlessly advocates for its clients and provides outstanding strategic counsel through their most difficult challenges,” Williams said. “I’ve seen firsthand how this firm tackles the toughest cases and lives its values. I’m excited to join a team with an extraordinary depth of legal talent that doesn’t shy away from hard fights – and delivers results that matter.”

Jenner is one of four firms alongside Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and litigation firm Susman Godfrey, to have sued the Trump administration over executive orders that suspended their lawyers’ security clearances and threatened the firms and their clients with the loss of their government contracts. The orders formed part of a wider campaign by Trump against law firms he maintains have supported efforts to unfairly prosecute him or help his opponents, alongside a broader effort by his administration to challenge diversity, equity and inclusion policies. 

Paul Weiss was hit with an executive order in March for its past employment of Mark Pomerantz, who was a central figure in an investigation into Trump’s finances while at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. 

The order was rescinded in less than a week after firm chair Brad Karp cut a deal with Trump, making it the first of nine major law firms to pledge a total of $940m in pro bono legal services to causes shared with the administration to avoid punishment. 

As part of their deals, the firms, which included Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, were reported by the Trump administration to have promised not to engage in “illegal DEI” activities. 

The firms that chose to make deals have come in for strong criticism from members of the legal profession, including their own lawyers, and there have been some high-profile defections. 

Williams’ departure from Paul Weiss follows litigation department co-chair Karen Dunn, a former campaign adviser to Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton, leaving last month with three partners to found a litigation boutique. 

Jeh Johnson, the prominent Democrat and former Homeland Security Secretary, also announced last month he was leaving the firm, while Steven Banks, who had been head of the firm’s pro bono practice, departed in April, citing a desire to return to direct advocacy work. 

A Paul Weiss spokesperson said of Williams' departure: "We thank Damian for his contributions and wish him well."

Skadden has also seen exits in the wake of its March deal with Trump. Kathleen Rubenstein, who had been executive director of the Skadden Foundation since 2019, resigned from the public law interest group last week.