As Willkie Farr & Gallagher learned, cutting a deal with the White House can avert a financially punitive executive order. But doing so can draw internal rebukes and external criticism.

Former top legal executives at large companies including Microsoft, Intel and Eli Lilly submitted a legal brief on Tuesday accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of undermining the rule of law and threatening American businesses with his executive orders targeting law firms.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) are pressing the White House and six top law firms about alleged deals struck with the Trump administration to avoid getting