Four of the five Sullivan & Cromwell partners who originally led President Donald Trump’s appeals have left the team, leaving the firm’s co‑chair, Robert Giuffra Jr., as the sole senior partner publicly steering three high‑profile matters as key briefs loom, according to reporting by Politico.
- Four of the five Sullivan & Cromwell partners originally handling Trump’s appeals have left the team, leaving Robert Giuffra Jr. as the only senior partner publicly leading the work.
- Departures included lateral moves to Gibson Dunn and appointments to government and judicial posts, not uniformly reputational exits.
- Sullivan & Cromwell was reported to be planning partner additions ahead of an Aug. 26 civil‑appeal brief; the firm did not comment publicly in Politico’s reporting.
What changed at Sullivan & Cromwell
When Trump hired Sullivan & Cromwell after the start of his second term, his defence in several significant cases was staffed by five of the firm’s partners, all with Supreme Court clerkships and one with experience as acting solicitor general. Since April, four of those partners have departed the team for different reasons.
Two of the partners — Jeff Wall, a former acting solicitor general, and Morgan Ratner — left Sullivan & Cromwell in April to join Gibson Dunn. Another, Jamie McDonald, was elevated to serve as Manhattan’s U.S. attorney after being appointed by district judges in late July. A fourth partner, Matthew Schwartz, received a nomination from the president and was confirmed by the Senate in mid‑July to a lifetime seat on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Politico reported these changes; the firm did not provide a comment to the outlet.
What remains on the docket
Sullivan & Cromwell continues to represent Trump in at least three appeals: an appeal of his criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush‑money case; an appeal in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s civil fraud action; and a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of an $83.3 million defamation judgment in a case brought by E. Jean Carroll. Politico described Giuffra as the only remaining senior partner visibly leading that work.
Politico reported that in July Giuffra — together with a more junior Sullivan & Cromwell lawyer — was among the signatories on the Supreme Court petition in the Carroll matter. That filing also included counsel from a Missouri boutique firm that has represented Trump previously.
Deadlines and staffing pressure
Those three matters carry near‑term filing dates. Politico cited a source saying Sullivan & Cromwell planned to add partners to Trump’s team within about two weeks to meet an Aug. 26 deadline for a brief in the civil fraud appeal; a separate filing in the criminal appeal is due in October. The source, who spoke on background, said the firm expected to bolster staffing ahead of those deadlines.
Politico and subsequent coverage by other outlets framed the situation as unusual: it would be atypical for a single firm co‑chair with an extensive client roster and administrative duties to carry the senior role on three substantial appeals without additional senior colleagues assisting.
Why the departures matter
The departures reduce senior bench strength at a point when appellate work typically requires teams of experienced litigators sharing research, brief drafting and oral‑argument preparation. Politico’s reporting noted the earlier five‑partner lineup was seen as a sign that some elite litigation talent was willing to represent the president; the subsequent thinning of that team has prompted scrutiny inside and outside the firm.
Reporting also indicates the exits did not uniformly reflect reputational harm from representing Trump. Two partners moved into government and judicial roles — appointments that removed them from private practice — while two others switched to a rival law firm.
What reporters and the firm say
Politico attributed its details to reporting and to a person familiar with the firm’s staffing who spoke on condition of anonymity. The article said a Sullivan & Cromwell representative did not respond to a request for comment. Other outlets summarising Politico’s reporting have repeated the core claims that four partners left and Giuffra remains the sole senior partner publicly on the matters.
Implications and open questions
Immediate implications are practical: if additional senior partners do not join the team before the civil brief due Aug. 26, the firm could face compressed timelines and concentrated workload for Giuffra and supporting lawyers. That could affect the allocation of internal resources and the pace of filings.
Beyond the logistics, the staffing shift may feed into broader narratives about how elite law firms engage with politically prominent clients. The reporting documents a mix of career moves — lateral hires, judicial confirmation and an executive appointment — rather than an across‑the‑board repudiation of representation.
Unresolved points include the identities of any new partners expected to join Trump’s defence team, the precise internal staffing plan at Sullivan & Cromwell, and whether the firm’s public posture will change as reinforcements are added. Politico reported expectations of additions within weeks but did not identify specific names; the firm did not comment to the outlet when asked.
Timeline
- Early in Trump’s second term: Sullivan & Cromwell assembled a five‑partner team to handle multiple appeals for the president, according to Politico.
- April 2026: Jeff Wall and Morgan Ratner left Sullivan & Cromwell for Gibson Dunn, Politico reported.
- Mid‑July 2026: Matthew Schwartz was confirmed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, removing him from the private‑practice team.
- Late July 2026: Jamie McDonald began serving as Manhattan U.S. attorney after appointment by district judges, Politico reported.
- July 2026: Giuffra and a junior partner from Sullivan & Cromwell signed Trump’s Supreme Court petition in the E. Jean Carroll matter; counsel from a Missouri boutique firm also appeared on the filing, according to Politico.
- Aug. 16, 2026: Politico published reporting that four of five Sullivan & Cromwell partners had left Trump’s team, leaving Giuffra as the senior partner handling the appeals.
Bottom line
Reporting in Politico, corroborated by other outlets summarising that story, shows that Sullivan & Cromwell’s original five‑partner defence for Donald Trump has been reduced to one senior partner, Robert Giuffra Jr., amid imminent appellate deadlines. The firm reportedly expects to add partners in the near term, but specific reinforcements had not been publicly identified at the time of Politico’s reporting.
