More than 500 employees at A&O Shearman signed an open letter to firm leadership shortly before Trump announced that the firm had made a deal. Law.com reported late Thursday that the firm was one of four in talks with the administration.

Internal tensions are boiling over at large law firms that have made deals with President Donald Trump—a group that increased by five on Friday—as attorney resignations become a growing consideration.

By Friday, hundreds had signed onto an open letter, obtained by law.com, to firm leadership at A&O Shearman about its own impending deal with the president. More than 500 associates, counsel and staff at A&O Shearman signed the letter to firm leadership, expressing their opposition to a deal with the Trump administration. The firm has roughly 7,000 attorneys and employees globally.

The open letter from A&O Shearman was sent to firm leadership on Friday—shortly before Trump announced the deal, but after law.com reported that A&O Shearman was one of four firms engaging in talks with the White House.

Trump announced on Truth Social Friday that A&O Shearman was one of four firms that had agreed to a deal, with each pledging $125 million to causes his administration supports. The deal also settles an EEOC inquiry, Trump and the firm said. The other firms with deals announced Friday were: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

The signatories “strongly oppose” entering into any agreement with the Trump administration, the open letter says, while also recognizing that A&O Shearman and other firms face an “unprecedented threat,” and that there are “no risk-free options in these circumstances.” “However, we firmly believe that agreements of this nature contribute to the degradation of the rule of law in the United States,” the letter reads. “Likewise, we firmly believe that a similar agreement would be detrimental to A&O Shearman's business interests both in the United States and internationally, in terms of client relationships, employee retention, recruitment, and the firm's US and global reputation, both now and in the future.”

Some associates are actively discussing next steps following the firm’s deal with the president, a source familiar with the situation said.

Despite the message of opposition, A&O Shearman was one of five law firms that Trump announced a deal with on Friday. In an internal firm memo about the deal, A&O Shearman leadership said they weighed several factors. "This difficult decision was made following careful consideration with the Board and Executive Committee and was informed after a thorough evaluation of all the possible alternatives," said the internal leadership letter.

A&O Shearman claims its deal differs from others: "It is a settlement and release of an EEOC employment law inquiry and was not done in response to an Executive Order or the threat of one related to the firm's representation of clients or association with any persons." “As we do every day for our clients, we identified and compared the benefits and risks of all approaches to the EEOC matter before coming to a reasoned yet difficult decision,” the firm’s memo said, but adding “we are keenly aware that many of you will question or disagree with it. We wholeheartedly welcome, respect and will engage with all viewpoints.”

Four other firms previously reached agreements with Trump — Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Milbank — bringing the count to nine following Friday's announcements.

The internal A&O Shearman employee letter is one of many signs of open outrage within the ranks of law firms cutting deals with Trump. Partners, associates and others have openly resigned from Willkie, Paul Weiss and Skadden after Trump announced those firms’ deals. Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, a litigation partner at Willkie, criticized the firm’s agreement with Trump at a recent fundraiser. Others are piping up via social media, including in a forum called Law Firm Partners United for partners who want to weigh in when their firms "choose to remain silent."

Other firm internal memos also acknowledged the tension of the deals.

“We know and understand that this development may weigh heavily on some of you and that you may not agree with the path we have taken,” said Simpson Thacher's internal memo on Friday. “We deeply respect your views, and we appreciate how unprecedented and challenging recent events in the legal industry have been.” Author: Abigail Adcox Source: law.com