Critics of law firms' deals with Trump are starting a firm of their own

The latest development in the high-stakes battle between the administration and the legal community involves former Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell.

In the latest development in what has become a high-stakes battle between the administration and the legal community, prominent Washington defense attorney Abbe Lowell and two of the most vocal critics of established law firms’ deals with President Donald Trump are joining to start a new firm and mount a more aggressive response to Trump’s pressure campaign.

A former Justice Department official who has connections to the big firms in Washington reported believing the move reflected increasing tensions within the most prominent legal institutions and that it could be a “harbinger” of similar moves to come.

Joining Lowell at the new firm, to be called Lowell and Associates, are Brenna Trout Frey and Rachel Cohen, both of whom resigned publicly in recent weeks from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, one of the highest-grossing firms in the United States, over what Trout Frey described in a LinkedIn post as the firm’s “capitulating to the Trump administration’s demands for fealty and protection money.”

Trump has referred to the deal as “essentially a settlement” and said, “We appreciate Skadden coming to the table.”

The new firm is set to represent several clients who have been foes of Trump in some way and have been targeted by his administration, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, former Trump administration official-turned-critic Miles Taylor and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid, six sources familiar with the firm’s plans told NBC News. The firm will also represent clients involved in litigation over grant funding revoked by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and other parts of the administration.