History of Perkins Coie in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 1, 2025

Perkins Coie LLP, established in 1912 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, ranks among the top 50 law firms in the United States. As the largest law firm in the Pacific Northwest, it operates 21 offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm offers legal services in corporate law, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory matters. Its client base includes prominent technology companies like Google, Microsoft, Intel, Meta and Amazon. Perkins Coie is also recognized for its pro bono legal work.

1912: Firm Founded

In 1912, Perkins Coie was founded as a law firm based in Seattle, Washington.

1916: Represented Boeing Company

In 1916, Perkins Coie began representing the Boeing Company since its founding.

1980: Founded Political Law Practice

In 1980, Perkins Coie's Political Law Practice was founded by attorney Bob Bauer.

1988: Occupied 1201 Third Avenue

In 1988, Perkins Coie occupied 1201 Third Avenue since its opening.

1991: Instituted Diversity Fellowship Program

In 1991, Perkins Coie instituted a Diversity Fellowship Program open to Black, Hispanic, Native American, or LGBT law students.

1997: Represented Amazon in IPO

In 1997, Perkins Coie represented Amazon in its initial public offering.

2004: Represented Christine Gregoire in Litigation

In 2004, Perkins Coie represented Christine Gregoire in the prolonged litigation surrounding her Washington gubernatorial election.

2006: Represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan

In 2006, Perkins Coie, led by partner Harry Schneider, represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the alleged driver and bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, in a case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

2008: Represented Al Franken in Senatorial Election Recount

In 2008, a team of Perkins lawyers successfully represented Al Franken in his recount and legal battle over the Senatorial election in Minnesota.

April 28, 2010: Argued Doe v. Reed Before Supreme Court

On April 28, 2010, Perkins Coie worked in the Doe v. Reed case concerning petition signatures in state ballot initiative campaigns, which was argued successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court.

2010: Sought Advisory Opinions from FEC on Google and Facebook Ads

In 2010, Perkins Coie sought advisory opinions from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) declaring that certain Google and Facebook advertisements were covered by exemptions to the law requiring disclaimers on political ads.

2015: Hired as Counsel for Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign

In 2015, Perkins Coie's Political Law Practice was hired as counsel for the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

April 2016: Retained Fusion GPS for Opposition Research

In April 2016, as part of its representation of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, Perkins Coie retained the intelligence firm Fusion GPS for opposition research services.

September 2016: Alleged False Statement to the FBI

In September 2016, Michael Sussmann allegedly made a false statement to the FBI.

2016: Lawsuits Against Restrictive State Voting Laws

In 2016, for the United States presidential election, Perkins Coie successfully brought several lawsuits against restrictive state voting laws that unduly targeted minority voters, funded by the Democratic Party and George Soros.

2016: Payments from Clinton Campaign and DNC

In 2016, the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) paid Perkins Coie $5.6 million and $3.6 million respectively.

2016: FEC Investigation into Payments

In 2016, the FEC conducted an investigation into misreported payments to Perkins Coie and levied a fine jointly paid by the DNC and the Clinton campaign.

October 2017: Lobbied to Defeat Honest Ads Act

In October 2017, Perkins Coie lobbied to defeat a bill called the Honest Ads Act, which would require internet companies to disclose who paid for political ads.

October 24, 2017: Released Fusion GPS from Client Confidentiality

On October 24, 2017, Perkins Coie released Fusion GPS from its client confidentiality obligation.

2018: Joined ABA Campaign on Substance-Use Disorders and Mental Health

In 2018, Perkins Coie joined the American Bar Association's campaign targeting substance-use disorders and mental health issues among lawyers.

2019: Became Signatory to the Mansfield Rule

In 2019, Perkins Coie became a signatory to the Mansfield Rule, aiming to diversify leadership by broadening the candidate pool for senior management.

2019: Launched Perkins Coie Tech Venture index

In 2019, Perkins Coie launched the Perkins Coie Tech Venture index to measure the health of the emerging growth technology and venture capital ecosystem.

2019: Set up Shenzhen IP firm

In 2019, Perkins Coie set up IP firm in Shenzhen.

2020: Handled Lawsuits Filed by Donald Trump Campaign

In 2020, Perkins Coie's Political Law Practice handled the responses to dozens of lawsuits filed by the Donald Trump campaign seeking to overturn Joe Biden's win; prevailing in 64 out of 65 cases.

September 2021: Michael Sussmann Indicted by Durham Special Counsel

In September 2021, Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer at Perkins Coie, was indicted by the Durham special counsel investigation for allegedly making a false statement to the FBI.

2021: Marc Elias and Partners Left to Form Elias Law Group

In 2021, Marc Elias, 13 other partners, and 36 associates left Perkins Coie's Political Law Practice to form the Elias Law Group due to conflicts of interest with Perkins Coie's corporate clients.

2021: Challenged New State Voting Laws

In 2021, Perkins Coie filed suits challenging new laws passed by Republican-dominated state legislatures to tighten election procedures.

May 2022: Sussmann Acquitted

In May 2022, Michael Sussmann was unanimously acquitted after a jury trial.

2022: Advised YouTube TV on Sunday Ticket Agreement

In 2022, Perkins Coie guided YouTube TV on its Sunday Ticket broadcast agreement with the National Football League.

April 2023: Represented Amazon Before International Trade Commission

In April 2023, Perkins Coie represented Amazon before the International Trade Commission regarding patent litigation.

October 2023: Removed Language Specifying Race, Sexual Orientation, or Gender Identity in Diversity Fellowship Program

In October 2023, Perkins Coie removed the language specifying that the Diversity Fellowship Program was only open to people of a certain race, sexual orientation, or gender identity in response to a lawsuit.

2023: DNC Parted Ways with Elias Law Group

In 2023, the DNC parted ways with the Elias Law Group over strategy disputes.

March 2024: Closed Shanghai Office

In March 2024, Perkins Coie announced the closure of its office in Shanghai, China.

May 2024: Launched London Office

In May 2024, Perkins Coie launched a London office with a technology-focused corporate practice, led by Ian Bagshaw.

2024: Secured Asylum for Afghan Air Force Pilot

In 2024, Perkins Coie's pro bono team successfully secured a grant of asylum for a former Afghan Air Force pilot.

2024: DNC Returned to Perkins Coie

In 2024, the DNC returned to Perkins Coie and paid the law firm nearly $10 million during the U.S. Presidential Election.

March 6, 2025: Trump Signed Executive Order 14230

On March 6, 2025, President Donald Trump signed executive order 14230 that barred the federal government from using Perkins Coie's services, suspended security clearances, barred attorneys from federal buildings, and ordered reviews to end government contracts with the firm's clients, accusing them of "dishonest and dangerous activity" and racial discrimination.

March 10, 2025: Retained Williams & Connolly

On March 10, 2025, Perkins Coie retained Williams & Connolly to challenge the executive order issued by President Trump.

May 2, 2025: Judge Howell Blocked Executive Order

On May 2, 2025, Judge Howell ruled that the executive order violated the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution, and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it.

2025: Planned move to Russell Investments Center

In 2025, Perkins Coie plans to move their Seattle headquarters to the Russell Investments Center.

2025: Major clients listed

In 2025, major Perkins Coie clients were listed as including Boeing, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Intel and the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks.