A high-profile legal battle has escalated in Washington as renowned appellate attorney Neal Katyal steps into a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s move to remove a top Democratic official from a federal agency.
Katyal, who recently transitioned from Hogan Lovells to lead the appellate division at Milbank, officially joined the legal team defending Cathy Harris, chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Harris, a Democrat, is suing to block Trump’s attempt to oust her from her post, which is set to run until 2028.
A judge has temporarily reinstated Harris while the case unfolds, but the U.S. Justice Department has already appealed the ruling.
Katyal’s involvement marks a significant development in the case, as he and Milbank had not previously been publicly connected to legal battles against the Trump administration. They will now collaborate with Harris’s existing attorneys, including those from the employment law firm Kator, Parks, Weiser & Wright.
A veteran of 52 Supreme Court cases, Katyal is no stranger to high-stakes legal battles. During Trump’s first term, he played a key role in opposing the administration’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations. His frequent media appearances have also cemented his reputation as a vocal critic of Trump’s legal maneuvers.
The fight over Harris’s position is one of many legal clashes between Trump and prominent law firms. Nearly a dozen major firms, including Katyal’s former employer Hogan Lovells, are actively engaged in litigation against the former president’s policies.
With this latest move, the legal landscape surrounding Trump’s efforts to reshape federal agencies continues to grow more contentious.
