[Photo: The Rudy Giuliani Sandwich at Stage Deliin NYC  /  Wikimedia Commons]

What’s a Biglaw firm to do when a partner goes on television and announces his integral role in constructing a “Muslim ban?” Especially when the firm was not hired to work on the thorny legal issue, airport protests against the executive order from around the country have dominated the news, and said shareholder is going viral in less than flattering terms?

Distance yourself – and that’s just what Greenberg Traurig did over the weekend.

Sure, Rudy Giuliani may be on a leave of absence from the firm but that doesn’t mean the embarrassment doesn’t linger. And Rudy remains a shareholder at the firm, so when he appeared on Fox News proudly proclaiming that he was an essential part of making Trump’s immigration executive order see the light of day, well something had to be done.

GT Executive Chair Richard Rosenbaum acted quickly. On Sunday, he sent a firm wide email disavowing the firm’s involvement in the creation of the executive order. But more than that, he told of his own family’s history of immigration and closed with a quote from Malala Yousafzai, all of which gives it a much more authentic vibe than pure lawyerese.

GT CEO Brian Duffy followed up Rosenbaum’s email with one of his own, offering legal assistance for any firm employees (or their family members) affected by the order and noting the firm’s upcoming training with the International Refugee Assistance Project.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the firm said:

Greenberg Traurig was not retained as to this Executive Order, and had no involvement in it. Last year, during the Presidential campaign, Mr. Giuliani, in his personal capacity as a volunteer for the campaign, along with other volunteer lawyers, made recommendations to now President Trump on this topic. He has advised that his involvement concluded at the end of the campaign.