In an extraordinary moment for the global legal industry, recent executive orders issued by the Trump administration have pulled the curtain back on a deeper, more unsettling truth about the foundations of Big Law: its increasing vulnerability to political pressure and apparent inability to mount a collective defence of the rule of law.

So far, at least five major US law firms have been directly targeted by executive order that bar their lawyers from courtrooms and, crucially, place their clients under immense scrutiny. These measures have been widely criticised by legal scholars and practitioners alike as a “functional death sentence” – not just for the firms involved, but for the integrity of the legal profession as a whole.

While a small number of firms, including Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, Susman Godfrey and Wilmer Hale (collectively known as The Quartet), have resisted, most major transactional firms – including industry giants like Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and Milbank – have quietly settled. In doing so, have made significant concessions on values they have long claimed to uphold, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies and pro bono commitments.

At Track Legal, we believe this demands deep reflection – not just from firms, but from those of us working across the legal market. These events raise crucial questions about what modern Big Law is now built on, how it operates, and where its true allegiances lie.

A Crisis of Structure

What’s become clear is that Big Law’s failure to resist this political overreach is not just about values – it’s structural. The elite end of the legal market has grown increasingly reliant on private capital work to drive its profitability. Star rainmakers with portable books of business, sometimes worth $20 million or more annually, are now vital to firm economics, and in some cases vital to a firms survival.

To retain these “stars”, firms have dismantled lockstep remuneration in favour of free-market/black box reward systems. This has created a “star culture” where the individual is king (or queen) – but at the expense of partnership cohesion and collective resilience.

In the past two years, the London legal market has seen record levels of partner movement, much of it driven by the booming demand for private capital expertise. This lateral talent war has significantly destabilised once-cohesive partnerships, with elite firms increasingly relying on a handful of high-billing “stars” to maintain profitability.

Firms like Paul Weiss, which have been among the most aggressive recruiters, with other firms following suit such as Sidleys recent raid on Latham, now face the consequences of this system. When profitability is at risk, the business model does not allow for hesitation – even in the face of existential threats to the rule of law.

At the heart of this lies a critical principle: legal representation without fear or favour. For centuries, lawyers have served as defenders of justice, regardless of the external politics. Today, that principle is under threat.

Lawyers at firms who chose to settle may now find themselves constrained – unable to act in politically sensitive matters for fear of retribution. And the idea firms may now have to vet work through a political lens first should concern anyone who believes in the independence of the legal profession.

Where does this leave us in the UK?

While this situation is currently playing out in the US, its ripple effects are already being felt here in the UK legal market – particularly in London, the world’s second-largest legal hub.

The same structural vulnerabilities apply here. US-headquartered firms dominate London’s private capital space, and the partner compensation arms race has taken a firm hold. The culture of lateralism, the break with traditional values, and the fragility of partnership economics are all playing out in the City of London and wider regions.

So are we evolving quickly enough in the current market?

The firms that succeed in the coming years won’t just be those with the biggest books or the most aggressive compensation – but those who can build trust, cohesion, and a sense of shared purpose.

As someone who speaks to partners and legal professionals every day, I’m seeing first-hand how the market is shifting beneath the surface.

There’s a growing awareness that profitability alone isn’t enough to future-proof a firm. The firms that will thrive in this next chapter are the ones who know what they stand for—and are willing to back it, even when it’s commercially inconvenient.

At Track Legal, I’m focused on working with lawyers who are thinking long-term. Not just about the next move, but about building something sustainable, meaningful, and aligned with their values in an increasingly complex market.