Skadden Arps Under Fire

   Group Calls on Governor

to Cut Ties With Skadden Arps

 WILMINGTON, Del. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - 7/15/2020 - Advocacy organization Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware called on Governor John Carney today to sever all government contracts with the beleaguered law firm of Skadden Arps, a firm conflicted with numerous ethical challenges, including its involvement in the Ukranian voter suppression scandal, and a staggering lack of diversity among its partner and associate classes.
 

Skadden Arps has been awarded millions of dollars in contracts and no-bid legal fees from Delaware’s Government and Court of Chancery while making no meaningful improvements on supporting black lawyers or partners.
   In June, Reverend Al Sharpton called on Skadden, Arps to increase inclusion and support of black lawyers and partners but the firm ignored the request. Skadden Arps lack of diversity is striking; over the past three years, Skadden Arps has named 38 new partners, only two of whom are black and the firm’s Wilmington office has zero black partners and only one black associate.
   As prominent social justice organizations across the country call for governments to acknowledge systemic racism and support black-owned businesses and increase the representation of people of color, Governor John Carney continues to appoint from and give contracts to Skadden Arps regardless of their nascent diversity numbers. Recently, Delaware’s Chancery Court, led by Chancellor Andre Bouchard, was again noted for its questionable connections to Skadden Arps, his former place of employment.
   “Skadden Arps received over 15 million dollars from the TransPerfect case alone when Chancellor Bouchard appointed his former colleagues as the custodian. Governor Carney and the state of Delaware cannot continue filling the pockets of these white lawyers with no bid legal fees and contracts that should go to firms with real diversity numbers that support black lawyers and partners. If Skadden Arps refuses to make meaningful improvements on diversity, it is essential that Governor Carney exerts his power and stands up for the racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic diversity of Delaware’s communities. We must demand better from our leaders if we want better for our communities.” CPBD Campaign Manager Chris Coffey said.