Harris' Presidential Campaign Gains Major Support from Paul Weiss Law Firm

US Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the White House is receiving significant backing from Paul Weiss, a prestigious law firm with strong ties to the Democratic Party.

Favoured by Big Tech and Wall Street, employees of Paul Weiss have contributed more to Democratic candidates this election cycle than any other law firm.

A partner from the firm has also assisted Harris in preparing for debates, while Chairman Brad Karp is rallying other lawyers to support the vice president.

Last week, Karp initiated a fundraising campaign within the legal community for Harris, reaching out to nearly 300 corporate lawyers, some of whom supported her 2020 presidential campaign.

The relationship between law firms and political candidates -- particularly one like Harris, who is herself a lawyer -- is nothing new.

However, advocacy groups are concerned that funders with corporate connections could exert undue influence, potentially swaying Harris away from policies under President Joe Biden that have been met with resistance from the business community.

"There is certainly a concern that the revolving door between the Democratic Party and Big Law serves the interests not only of the politicians but also of the clients represented by these 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 preparation team, according to sources familiar with the preparations, is the lead lawyer for Alphabet's Google in an antitrust trial scheduled to begin on September 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, assisting him, Harris, and Hillary Clinton in preparing for past debates. She has also represented Apple and Uber.

Paul Weiss lawyers and staff have contributed at least $1.4 million to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle, more than any other law firm tracked by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan research group that analyses campaign finance records.

Donations from lawyers and legal industry employees during this election cycle have largely gone to Biden, whose campaign Harris took over in mid-July. The Biden campaign has received at least $14.5 million, while Trump has received at least $2.5 million, according to OpenSecrets.

Karp, who has served as the firm's chairman since 2008, was among Biden's top fundraisers in 2020, having previously raised funds for Harris during the Democratic nominating contests that Biden won. Karp's relationship with Harris spans about a decade.

He and Paul Weiss represented Citigroup 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.

For any enquiries or information, contact ask@tlr.ae or call us on +971 52 644 3004. Follow The Law Reporters on WhatsApp Channels.