UPDATE 1-Trump targets WilmerHale in latest White House action against law firms

The proclamation cited WilmerHale's ties to Robert Mueller, the former U.S. special counsel who investigated Russian contacts with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Like three earlier executive orders issued by Trump against other firms, the proclamation suspended security clearances held by lawyers at WilmerHale, restricted their access to government officials and ordered a review meant to terminate federal contracts held by the firm's clients.

* Proclamation restricts law firm's government access, contracts

* Trump has issued orders against four other major firms

* Critics warn Trump's moves chill lawyers' work for clients

(Adds WilmerHale comment in paragraph 5, details and background throughout) WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) -

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Thursday targeting law firm WilmerHale, the fifth time the president has taken aim at a major firm with connections to his legal or political adversaries. The proclamation cited WilmerHale's ties to Robert Mueller, the former U.S. special counsel who investigated Russian contacts with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Like three earlier executive orders issued by Trump against other firms, the proclamation suspended security clearances held by lawyers at WilmerHale, restricted their access to government officials and ordered a review meant to terminate federal contracts held by the firm's clients. A WilmerHale spokesperson said Trump's proclamation was unlawful and resembled an earlier executive order "that has been enjoined by a federal judge."

Mueller retired from the firm in 2021 after a "long, distinguished career in public service," the spokesperson said. Mueller could not immediately be reached for comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A federal judge on March 12 temporarily blocked

most of a similar executive order Trump issued against Perkins Coie, finding it likely violated the U.S. Constitution. The president agreed to drop his executive order against Wall Street law firm Paul Weiss after it

agreed last week to donate the equivalent of $40 million in free legal work to administration causes, and to commit to nonpartisanship and merit-based hiring.

An earlier, narrower order by Trump suspended security clearances for some lawyers at law firm Covington & Burling. Trump's moves against law firms have drawn

growing condemnation from lawyers and legal experts. A group of 20 Democratic state attorneys general and the American Bar Association each warned on Wednesday that Trump's efforts posed dangers to the U.S. legal system by chilling lawyers' freedom to choose their clients.

WilmerHale, which has a large D.C. office just blocks from the White House, employs more than 1,100 lawyers and has a leading U.S. Supreme Court practice. Some of its major clients include Apple, Harvard University, Meta, and Tesla. The Justice Department

appointed Mueller early in Trump's first term to probe Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow.

In 2019, Mueller published a report

that identified links between the Russian government and Trump's campaign. But Mueller, a former Republican-appointed FBI director, found there was not enough evidence to establish that Trump's campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)