Abbe Lowell launches his own law firm

Prominent defense lawyer Abbe Lowell has officially launched Lowell & Associates, his own boutique law firm with an initial client roster that includes several opponents of President Donald Trump.

Lowell is teaming up with two attorneys who publicly resigned from their positions at Skadden Arps, after the major firm chose to proactively make a deal with the White House to avoid being targeted by the president. Also joining Lowell at the new firm are two associates poached from Winston & Strawn, the international firm where Lowell had been a partner since 2018.

“This firm is prepared for today’s dynamic legal landscape, offering a leaner model than larger firms can provide,” Lowell said in a statement. “I started my private practice career in my own firm and am excited to once again lead a small yet nimble team ready to represent companies, non-profits and individuals in need of our experience and dedication.”

The firm’s most high-profile client will be New York Attorney General Letitia James, who won a civil fraud case against Trump in 2024 and was recently referred to the Justice Department by federal officials for criminal prosecution on allegations of mortgage fraud. Other initial clients include Washington whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid and former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor, both of whom had their security clearances revoked by Trump.

“The stunning hypocrisy of President Trump's complaint that the Justice Department had been ‘politicized’ and ‘weaponized’ against him is laid bare as he and others in his Administration are now asking you to undertake the very same practice,” Lowell wrote last week in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on behalf of James.

The firm also represents groups challenging the cancellation of grant funding by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and government agencies.

Lowell has had a long career representing high-profile political clients from both parties. Most recently, he was lead counsel for Hunter Biden in two criminal cases on federal gun and tax evasion charges. Biden was convicted of the gun charges and pleaded guilty to the tax changes before being pardoned by his father, President Joe Biden. Lowell previously represented Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Lowell's decision to launch the firm comes as the president has attacked the legal industry, issuing executive orders that punish specific firms by suspending security clearances, cutting off government contracts and limiting access to government buildings. Four firms have challenged Trump's orders in court, while others, including Skadden, have struck deals with the White House.

Joining Lowell as counsel will be Brenna Trout Frey, a former associate at Skadden Arps who quit that firm in March following its decision to provide the equivalent of $100 million in free legal work to causes supported by the president.

“I am honored to join Abbe and continue to stand up when it counts,” she said in a statement. “We are not here to make statements, we are here to litigate, win, and help reinforce the legal guardrails that hold our democracy together.”

Another former Skadden Arps associate, Rachel Cohen, joins the firm as strategic and external affairs coordinator. Cohen was the first Big Law associate to publicly resign as a result of the industry’s collective silence on Trump’s executive orders. Before quitting she helped organize an open letter criticizing the orders that was anonymously signed by nearly 2,000 other associates.