From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 26, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Subject: Abbe Lowell launches his own law firm
To: <inquiries@lowellandassociates.com>
Abbe Lowell launches his own law firm
Hunter Biden’s former lawyer is teaming up with attorneys who have quit major law firms over Trump’s executive orders targeting the legal industry.
Attorney Abbe Lowell arrives at federal court, June 6, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. | Matt Rourke/AP
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.
https://www.lowellandassociates.com/our-team
Our Team
Founding Member
Brenna Frey
Abbe served as Chief Minority Counsel to Congress during the impeachment proceedings of President Clinton. He is a former Special Counsellor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, New York, Rwanda, and the former Yugoslavia. In legal and non-legal publications, he has authored numerous articles on the law, and he teaches criminal procedure, evidence, trial practice, and congressional oversight and investigations at Georgetown Law Center and Columbia Law School. He serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Bard (Lawyer) Association of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Board of Georgetown Ministry Center, and has been Vice President and General Counsel of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. He is a graduate with honors of Columbia College and Columbia Law School.
Abbe is admitted to the Bars of the District of Columbia, New York, and Maryland.
Brenna Frey
Counsel
Brenna Frey has more than a decade of experience representing a variety of clients, including representation of large companies involved in complex civil litigation and consumer class actions in state and federal courts. Brenna has significant experience counseling clients through internal and external investigations and has coordinated all aspects of pre-trial discovery in multi-jurisdictional litigation. She has successfully defended numerous clients against challenges to claims of privilege and regularly advises clients on best practices to protect confidentiality of their privileged communications.
Brenna has represented clients in connection with congressional investigation and governmental enforcement actions, as well as inquiries from states attorneys general. She has devoted pro bono time to representing students to ensure they receive the free, appropriate public education to which they are entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.
Brenna joins the firm from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. She is a graduate with honors of University of Delaware and of New York University School of Law.
Brenna is admitted to the Bars of New York and the District of Columbia.
David Kolansky
Counsel
David Kolansky is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on white collar criminal defense and government investigations, congressional inquiries, DOJ and SEC enforcement actions, complex commercial litigation, digital assets, and assisting clients with compliance in a variety of industries, including foreign agent registration laws and financial compliance. He has served as presenting trial counsel in criminal and civil cases, has represented clients before committees of Congress, and maintains an active pro bono practice.
As part of his work, David has experience navigating clients through the glare of media scrutiny, often involved in high-profile representations and highly sensitive government investigations and matters.
David joins the firm from Winston & Strawn LLP, where he began his legal career. David participated in Winston’s Public Interest Fellowship Program at Legal Services NYC, where he assisted with impact litigation stemming from the closure of New York City public schools due to COVID-19. Prior to joining Winston, he was a legal intern for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and a consultant in Washington, DC. He is a graduate with honors of University of Pennsylvania and of Vanderbilt University Law School.
David is admitted to the Bars of New York and New Jersey.
Isabella Oishi
Associate
Isabella (Bella) Oishi represents clients in white collar criminal prosecutions and government investigations, up to and including trial, complex civil and regulatory litigation, as well as congressional inquiries, and regulatory and internal investigations. She counsels individuals and organizations across a range of high stakes, high profile, and sensitive matters. Bella has served as a key member of trial teams in jurisdictions across the country.
Isabella joins Lowell & Associates from Winston & Strawn LLP, where she began her legal career. She is a graduate with honors of the University of Arizona and of Georgetown Law.
Isabella is admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia.
Jack Bolen
Associate
Jack Bolen is a litigation associate at L&A. Informed by his experience as a federal appellate clerk, he brings sophisticated legal analysis skills and a deep understanding of constitutional law and civil procedure to his work.
Prior to joining the firm, Jack served as a clerk for the Honorable Nicole G. Berner on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. While at NYU School of Law, he was a summer associate at Williams & Connolly, a research assistant for professors Melissa Murray and Barry Friedman, and a law clerk to Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Before law school, Jack was a paralegal in the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Jack is a graduate with honors of New York University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Jack is admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia.
Rachel Cohen
External & Strategic Affairs Coordinator
Rachel Cohen is an attorney and former educator. She began her legal career as a finance associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she maintained a robust pro bono practice focused on immigration and housing law. Prior to law school, she spent four years as a public school teacher in Providence, Rhode Island, where she provided volunteer communications support to the Rhode Island Democratic Party’s Women’s Caucus and was a frequent door-knocker for progressive candidates and causes.
Rachel is a graduate of the Ohio State University, where she graduated with honors, and of Harvard Law School. She is also a Teach for America alumna.
Rachel is admitted to the Bar of Illinois.
Angela Reilly
Chief of Staff
Angela Reilly directs firm strategy and operations, leveraging her background as a plaintiff-side and nonprofit litigator. Her legal experience is rooted in complex litigation focused on environmental law, consumer protection, disability rights, mass torts, and shareholder advocacy.
While at the University of Chicago Law School, Angela was an active member of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic and received Pro Bono Honors recognition for completing over 500 hours of public service. Prior to her legal career, she was a psychology researcher and grant coordinator. Angela is excited to bring her legal and non-legal experience to her role as Chief of Staff.
Angela is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago Law School.
Angela is admitted to the Bar of Illinois.
Margaret McGuire
Practice Coordinator
Margaret (Maggie) McGuire specializes in legal support services, practice group administration, and overseeing client intake processes. She has experience in preparing and processing employment visas and green cards while working as a legal assistant at an immigration firm. Ms. McGuire joins the firm from Winston & Strawn LLP, where she supported litigation practices and managed administration for a team of attorneys. She has been involved in trial teams and has worked on regulatory and congressional client matters.
Margaret is a graduate with honors of the University of Connecticut, where she authored her honors thesis on the First Amendment and disinformation. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she interned for two congressional campaigns and was a staff writer for the UConn Undergraduate Political Review.
Lowell & Associates, PLLC
1250 H Street NW Suite 250 Washington, DC 20005
T: (202) 964-6110
F: (202) 964-6116
inquiries@lowellandassociates.com
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-cook-federal-reserve-1.7617719
Trump moves to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who insists she's staying
Lawyer for first Black woman on Fed Board rejects dismissal, Supreme Court may have to weigh in
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday night he's firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an independent institution.
Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform that he is removing Cook effective immediately. Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, last week accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, though she faces no existing civil or criminal action.
Pulte alleged that Cook had claimed two primary residences — in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Atlanta — in 2021 to get better mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are often higher on second homes or those purchased to rent.
"The American people must have the full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve," Trump wrote in his letter addressed to Cook. "In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity."
Cook said Monday night that she would not step down.
"President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so," she said in an emailed statement. "I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."
Trump's move is likely to touch off an extensive legal battle that will probably go to the Supreme Court.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who sits on the chamber's finance and banking committees, called the move "an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act."
The top court has a 6-3 majority of conservative jurists, three appointed by Trump in his first term. In a May decision that supported the executive authority to remove officials from independent agencies, the top court referred to the Fed as distinct, characterizing it as a "uniquely structured, quasi-private entity"
Trump has moved to remove Democratic-appointed officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, among other entities. He also signed an executive order to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
'Uncharted waters'
Abbe Lowell, a prominent Washington, D.C., attorney retained by Cook, promised to fight the move and said Trump's "reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority."
Stock futures declined slightly late Monday, as did the dollar against other major currencies. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the board, it could erode the Fed's political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables it to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates.
Bill
Pulte is shown during a confirmation hearing in the Senate on Feb. 27
for an appointment as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Pulte first publicly raised the accusation directed at Lisa Cook. (Annabelle Gordon/Reuters)
If bond investors start to lose faith that the Fed will be able to control inflation, they will demand higher rates to own bonds, pushing up borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans and business loans.
"It's another crack in the edifice of the United States and its investibility," said Kyle Rodda, a senior financial market analyst at Capital.com in Melbourne.
Cook was appointed to the Fed's board by then-president Joe Biden and is the first Black woman to serve as a governor. She was confirmed after a 50-50 tie in the Senate over her nomination was broken by the vice-president at the time, Kamala Harris.
The law allows a president to fire a Fed governor "for cause," which typically means for some kind of wrongdoing or dereliction of duty.
Establishing a for-cause removal typically requires some type of proceeding that would allow Cook to answer the charges and present evidence, legal experts say, which hasn't happened in this case.
"We're in uncharted waters in a sense that it's very difficult to predict that if Lisa Cook goes to court what will happen," said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia law school and author of The Fed Unbound. Menand said for-cause firings are typically related to misconduct while in office, rather than based on private misconduct from before an official's appointment.
Fed governors vote on the central bank's interest rate decisions and on issues of financial regulation. While they are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they don't serve at the pleasure of the president. They serve 14-year terms that are staggered in an effort to insulate the Fed from political influence.
While presidents have clashed with Fed chairs before, no president has sought to fire a Fed governor.
Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the president's use of the "for cause" provision is likely an effort to mask his true intent.
"It seems like a fig leaf to get what we wants, which is muscling someone on the board to lower rates," she said.
Repeated criticisms of Powell
Trump has said he would only appoint officials who would support cutting rates.
Trump nominated Jerome Powell in November 2017 to succeed Janet Yellen as Fed chair, but has repeatedly attacked Powell in public comments for not cutting its short-term interest rate, and even threatened to fire him.
Why Trump wants to get rid of Fed Chair Jerome Powell | About ThatPowell signalled last week that the Fed may cut rates soon, even as inflation risks remain moderate.
Trump will be able to replace Powell in May 2026, when Powell's term expires. However, 12 members of the Fed's interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the chair might not guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.
Trump recently named Stephen Miran, a top White House economic adviser, to replace another governor, Adriana Kugler, who stepped down about five months before her term officially ended Aug. 1.
Trump appointed two governors in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, so replacing Cook would give Trump appointees a 4-3 majority on the Fed's board.
With files from CBC News and Reuters
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67511699/parties/united-states-v-biden/
United States v. Biden (1:23-cr-00061)
District Court, D. Delaware
Defendant
Robert Hunter Biden
Terminated (Dec. 3, 2024)
Represented by
Abbe David Lowell
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