Alphabets Pichai Taps Wilson Sonsini Partner for Trump Case (1)

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The CEO of Alphabet Inc. that Sundar Pichai and YouTube hired DC litigator Steffen Johnson and a team of lawyers from Wilson Sonsini to represent them in former President Donald Trumps ’lawsuit.

The class action lawsuit is one of three led by Trump attorney John P. Coale, a personal injury litigator known for taking over the tobacco and gun industries, against major tech companies YouTube, Twitter Inc., and Facebook Inc. Trump is challenging decisions to ban him from social media platforms.

Johnson, a veteran of Supreme Court litigation, joined Wilson Sonsini in 2019 after nearly 15 years with Winston & Strawn. In 2016, he helped represent New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in his appeal against Deflategate’s suspension against the National Football League.

Wilson Sonsini’s partner Brian Willen also filed papers on Tuesday to appear in the case. Stearns Weaver Miller shareholders Abigail Corbett and Jay B. Shapiro serve as local advisors for Pichai and YouTube, a unit of Google Alphabets.

The lawsuits, which say social media platforms violate Trump’s rights and other First Amendment Rights, have been called futile by many legal scholars because the companies are private entities, not governed by the Constitution. Coale, however, said he was confident in Trump’s legal arguments.

Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment on behalf of YouTube and Pichai. Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stearns Weaver Miller and Willen referred Google queries.

Unlike Coale, Johnson, who is based in Washington, has practiced constitution law throughout his career. At Winston Strawn, he is the latest vice chairman of the firm’s appeal and critical action motion.

Prior to his time with Winston & Strawn, Johnson worked for the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel, where he advised the White House and other executive branch officials about constitutional law, according to his firm profile.

Willen, also a DOJ alum, has represented Google in a wide range of litigation. He defended the company in litigation seeking to hold YouTube and other social media platforms accountable for the terrorist attacks, according to his online bio. In 2018, Willen defended Google in a lawsuit by Prager University, a conservative digital media company, which successfully argued that entities like YouTube were not state artists subject to the First Amendment.

Corbett joined Stearns Weaver Miller in 2009 and also worked for Covington & Burling and the Human Rights Campaign. Shapiro was managing director of Stearns Weaver Millers from 1998 to 2004 and is now a member of the firms board of directors.

Twitter and Facebook did not name their lawyers until Wednesday morning.

The case is Trump et al v. YouTube, LLC, SD Fla. No. 21-cv-22445.

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