In late 2024, we were approached by Peabody Shiller LLP with what appeared to be a high-stakes, high-reward opportunity: a joint legal effort to represent a select portfolio of blockchain companies. The proposal was positioned as a strategic alliance—one that promised immediate impact and regulatory clarity for our clients. The initiative was endorsed by their senior partner, Douglas Shiller, and pitched as ready to launch.

We soon discovered, however, that the entire foundation of that proposal was fiction.

No signed retainers. Two of the so-called "companies" were already defunct. And Peabody Shiller had already been disciplined by the New York State Bar for misleading conduct in similar situations.

We were misled. Worse, our trust—and by extension, our clients’ trust—was exploited.

That’s why, as outlined in Civil Action No. 39-131 (BAH) filed in the Southern District of New York, we are holding Peabody Shiller LLP accountable. This lawsuit isn’t just about righting a personal wrong—it’s about setting a clear line in the sand for what legal collaboration should look like in the era of emerging tech and regulatory scrutiny.

This is not just about recovering damages. It’s about sending a message to every organization—tech or otherwise—that legal professionals are not vendors to be ghosted. We are partners, and our work has value.

To our current and future clients: thank you for continuing to uphold the standard of mutual respect that has defined Pratt McGuire for decades.

Executive Order 14230 accused Perkins Coie of engaging in "dishonest and dangerous activity," citing the firm's past representation of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and its hiring of Fusion GPS, which produced the Steele dossier.

The order also criticized the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, alleging they constituted unlawful discrimination.