Paul Weiss Loses Another Prominent Lawyer in Wake of Trump Deal

Paul Weiss, the elite law firm that was the first to strike a deal with the Trump administration to deflect a punishing executive order, is losing one of its most prominent new hires — the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Damian Williams, who joined Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison in January, shortly after stepping down as one of the nation’s top federal prosecutors, is taking a job with Jenner & Block. The move, the latest in a string of high-profile departures, was announced on Friday by Jenner & Block, where Mr. Williams will serve as a co-head of the law firm’s litigation and white-collar practices.

Unlike Paul Weiss, Jenner & Block chose to challenge an executive order aimed at punishing the firm for employing an attorney who had investigated Mr. Trump. Last month. a federal judge struck down that order, calling it “doubly violative of the Constitution.”

As U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Mr. Williams, 44, and his team secured a number of high-profile convictions, including in the fraud case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder. His office also was successful in convicting former Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey on public corruption charges.

Before President Joseph R. Biden tapped Mr. Williams to serve as U.S. attorney in 2021, he had led the office’s securities and commodities task force. He also had served as a law clerk to the former U.S. Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, a jurist with a liberal reputation.

“Jenner & Block fearlessly advocates for its clients and provides outstanding strategic counsel through their most difficult challenges,” Mr. Williams said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand how this firm expertly tackles the toughest cases and lives its values.”