The federal government intends to subpoena 14 major law firms and their top leadership for internal records and depositions as part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by the American Bar Association.

Background

According to a legal notice filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 17, 2026, attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division stated their intention to serve subpoenas commanding both document production and testimony.

The targeted firms include high-profile national operations such as Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey, Covington & Burling, Skadden Arps, Willkie Farr, Milbank, Kirkland & Ellis, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Simpson Thacher, Latham & Watkins, and Cadwalader.

The notice targets managing partners, co-managing partners, chairs, or co-chairs at each entity, including specific individuals like Brad Karp of Paul Weiss, Kalpana Srinivasan of Susman Godfrey, and Jon Ballis of Kirkland & Ellis.

Subpoena Details

Court documents indicate the government is seeking all communications and records dating from January 20, 2025, to the present involving Boris Epshteyn. The requests cover messages sent to, received from, or participated in with Epshteyn by the law firms or the American Bar Association.

The subpoenas also demand records concerning several specific executive orders issued by President Donald J. Trump in early 2025. These orders, referenced as “Law Firm Executive Orders,” targeted several of the firms directly.

Additionally, the Department of Justice is seeking information regarding any final written or oral agreements between the Trump administration and a subset of the firms.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.