A global law firm that has spent months helping President-elect Trump separate his personal business from the office of the president was recognized last year for its “high-profile” work in Russia.
Sheri Dillon, a well-respected tax controversy attorney, was given significant airtime during Trump’s press conference on Wednesday to discuss how the real estate tycoon will avoid business conflicts while serving in the Oval Office. Dillon works at the Washington, DC office of Morgan Lewis, which was named “Russia Law Firm of the Year” last spring by the law profession directory Chambers & Partners.
“Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP just scooped up the Russia Law Firm of the Year award #ChamEuroAwards,” Chambers & Partners tweeted on April 22.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP just scooped up the Russia Law Firm of the Year award #ChamEuroAwards @MorganLewisLaw
— Chambers & Partners (@ChambersGuides) April 22, 2016
The award honored lawyers employed in Morgan Lewis’ Moscow office, a firm that specializes in corporate law and mergers and acquisitions. The firm did not return the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
Dillon said Wednesday that Trump had instructed his team of attorneys to “take all steps realistically possible to make it clear that he is not exploiting the office of the presidency for his personal benefit.” She detailed a series of steps the incoming Republican president plans to take to avoid business conflicts and ensure that he remains out of the loop on deals involving his real estate empire.
Trump is expected to step down from all managerial roles within the Trump Organization before he is sworn into office on Jan. 20. He will place his personal business holdings into a trust and relinquish control of his company to his two eldest sons and the current CFO.
The president-elect has come under fire for maintaining a friendly posture toward Moscow even after intelligence officials confirmed that Russian military and civilian actors were behind the hackings of U.S. political institutions that occurred during the 2016 election.
Trump on Wednesday said if Russian President Vladimir Putin likes him “it is an asset, not a liability.”
“Hacking is bad and it shouldn’t be done, but look at what was learned from the hacking: that Hillary Clinton got questions to the debate,” Trump told reporters, whom he then asked, “do you honestly believe Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me?”
“Give me a break,” he said.
Wednesday’s press conference was held just as former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, whose ties to Russia have caused concern among Republican and Democratic lawmakers, was testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination to be secretary of state.
