US states tap private law firm Milbank to fight Paramount-Warner Bros deal

California said on Monday it has hired law firm Milbank to help with its lawsuit seeking to block Paramount’s PSKY.O merger with Warner Bros WBD.O, gaining access to top antitrust lawyers who can go toe to toe with Paramount's legal team.

The move also sets up a potential clash between President Donald Trump's administration, which backed the merger, and a firm that decided to settle with Trump when he targeted law firms over their past clients, hiring practices and ties to Trump's perceived enemies.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state hired Milbank, a major corporate firm, because "we need the firepower." He said California expected to face "an army of high-powered private attorneys" from Paramount.

California’s team from Milbank includes Richard Parker and James Weingarten, a former U.S. government antitrust lawyer on the team that unsuccessfully tried to stop Microsoft’s $69 billion bid for Activision Blizzard.