Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Samuel William Weiss and Julius Frank opened a general commercial practice in New York City during 1875. This small office eventually grew into the multinational firm known today as Paul, Weiss. Louis Weiss, Samuel's son, started his own partnership with John F. Wharton in 1923. That new entity merged with the original family firm to form Cohen, Cole, Weiss & Wharton. The name shifted again after Lloyd K. Garrison and Randolph Paul joined the team in 1946. By that year, thirteen lawyers worked under the banner of Paul, Weiss, Wharton & Garrison. Carolyn Agger became the first female partner at any major New York law firm when she joined this organization in 1946. Her hiring coincided with the opening of the firm's Washington office later that same year.
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. made history when he was hired as an associate by the firm in 1949. He remains the first person of color ever employed as an associate by a major New York City law firm. Jeh Johnson achieved another milestone when he became the firm's first African-American partner in 1993. Johnson served as the fourth director and secretary of Homeland Security before returning to litigation duties in 2017. Loretta Lynch joined the firm as a litigation partner in 2019. She holds the distinction of being the first black woman to serve as United States attorney general. In 2018, critics pointed out a LinkedIn photograph showing recently promoted partners who were all white except for one woman. That image sparked debate about whether elite firms truly embraced diversity despite their public claims. By 2020, women comprised 26% of the equity partnership, slightly exceeding the national average for similar organizations.
Paul, Weiss has represented Exxon Mobil for over a decade while the energy giant fought U.S. cities' attempts to secure compensation for climate harms. The Supreme Court rejected the firm's bid to dismiss Honolulu's case before trial during 2025. Top-paid partners like Theodore V. Wells, Jr. championed this work battling climate change cases on behalf of fossil fuel companies. A 2021 assessment identified Paul, Weiss among law firms engaging in the most litigation, lobbying, and transactional work for fossil fuel entities. The company received the lowest grade possible in a 2021 scorecard evaluating law firms on climate change actions. Over five preceding years, the firm had represented fossil fuel companies in thirty separate cases. Students at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, New York University School of Law, and the University of Michigan Law School protested recruitment events between January and February 2020. They demanded the firm drop its representation of Exxon Mobil Corporation. In 2023, Paul, Weiss defended ExxonMobil in a human rights abuse case involving soldiers hired in Indonesia who allegedly committed murder and torture. Indonesian villagers alleged that contracted soldiers committed sexual assault on pregnant women and inflicted electric shocks and knife graffiti upon them.
Executive order 14237 prohibited Paul, Weiss employees from entering government buildings or holding security clearances during March 2025. This retaliatory campaign targeted the firm alongside Perkins Coie after Donald Trump became president again. The order cited diversity policies and the work of former partner Mark F. Pomerantz regarding his investigation into Trump's conviction on falsifying business records. On March 19, Paul, Weiss told a judge in a New Jersey case that it had been fired by a client because of the order. The following day, the 20th of March 2025, the firm agreed to lift restrictions in exchange for committing $40 million toward pro bono legal services supporting Trump administration goals. They also promised to stop pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Over 140 firm alumni wrote a letter criticizing this decision as capitulation to bullying tactics. Judge J. Michael Luttig stated that Paul, Weiss chose to cower before power and sell out its profession. Partners Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jessica Phillips, and Jeannie Rhee departed in May 2025 to start their own firm. Damian Williams left for Jenner & Block in June 2025.
In 2018, Paul, Weiss worked pro bono to locate more than 400 parents separated from their families at the southern border of the United States. This effort formed part of a federal American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the Trump administration over family separation policies. The ACLU asked Paul, Weiss to head a committee collaborating with three nonprofits to find these deported parents. By November, almost all of the 400 deported parents had been located successfully. The firm represents detainees held by the U.S. military at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Prison authorities force-fed detainees who went on hunger strikes protesting alleged inhumane conditions. Paul, Weiss attorneys filed an emergency application demanding information about detainee conditions during this period. Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the government to provide lawyers with twenty-four hours notice before initiating force-feeding in October 2005. She mandated that medical records be provided one week prior to any force-feeding procedure. In 2022, Paul, Weiss became a founding member of the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights offering free legal services to people seeking
abortions following the Dobbs decision.
Common questions
When did Samuel William Weiss and Julius Frank open Paul, Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison?
Samuel William Weiss and Julius Frank opened a general commercial practice in New York City during 1875. This small office eventually grew into the multinational firm known today as Paul, Weiss.
Who was the first female partner at Paul, Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison?
Carolyn Agger became the first female partner at any major New York law firm when she joined this organization in 1946. Her hiring coincided with the opening of the firm's Washington office later that same year.
What significant legal work has Paul, Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison done for Exxon Mobil?
Paul, Weiss has represented Exxon Mobil for over a decade while the energy giant fought U.S. cities' attempts to secure compensation for climate harms. The Supreme Court rejected the firm's bid to dismiss Honolulu's case before trial during 2025.
Why did Donald Trump issue executive order 14237 against Paul, Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison employees?
Executive order 14237 prohibited Paul, Weiss employees from entering government buildings or holding security clearances during March 2025. This retaliatory campaign targeted the firm alongside Perkins Coie after Donald Trump became president again and cited diversity policies and the work of former partner Mark F. Pomerantz regarding his investigation into Trump's conviction on falsifying business records.
How many parents separated from their families were located by Paul, Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison pro bono in 2018?
In 2018, Paul, Weiss worked pro bono to locate more than 400 parents separated from their families at the southern border of the United States. By November, almost all of the 400 deported parents had been located successfully.